Flamenco and Feria

Flamenco Show Marbella. Art that combines singing, guitar, dancing, clapping, stomping and shouts of “ole” for an incredible performance. See details here

We couldn’t have a guide to the culture of Andalucia without mentioning flamenco. Flamenco is an art form that combines singing, guitar, dancing, clapping, stomping and shouts of “ole” to make for an incredible performance. The centres for flamenco are Cadiz, Seville and Jerez, but you can find wonderful performers throughout Spain and each region has added to this diverse art form.

You are likely to hear a lot of flamenco music as part of your travels around Andalucia and we strongly recommend going to see a show to see how it all comes together. It really is a moving experience, especially in the authentic Tablaos.

If you are staying in a vacation rental in Marbella, we recommend a visit to Tablao Flamenco in Marbella’s Old Town. They provide a powerful one and a half hour show which includes music and dancing right in front of you. It costs 25€ per person which includes the show and one drink and the atmosphere is electric. My Guide Marbella can also arrange tickets, or a special package with tapas, a flamenco class and a flamenco show. Find out more

Insider’s Tip – Don’t order more drinks during the show, some guests are charged the same price as the show and drink for the second round! For drinks before and after the show, explore the beautiful Calle Ancho and enjoy dinner or tapas in one of the wonderful bars and restaurants just down from Tablao Ana Maria.

If you’re staying in a Torremolinos vacation rental then you’re within easy reach of Benalmadena and the flamenco shows which take place at the Torrequebrada hotel in summer. You’re also within  a short drive from the wonderful Liceo Flamenco in Malaga’s Old Town which is home to excellent flamenco shows at 7pm and 9pm each day. The shows last just over an hour, tickets include one drink and cost 25€.

Malaga hosts a Festival of Flamenco, which attracts some of the world’s best performers every two years. Over a six month period there are amazing concerts and activities. The last one took place from the beginning of March to the beginning of September 2017 and had 80 concerts, 300 artists and hundreds of activities. If you’re booking your holiday for 2019 check the website to find out more.

There are also very exciting modern flamenco performances which fuse flamenco and ballet, or modern dance. If this is up your street, ask at your local tourist office about performances during your stay.

The culture of the feria

If you want to see the Spanish love for flamenco and how the passion runs through the veins of the young and old, make sure you visit one of the town ferias. Every town and village on the Costa del Sol has a week long party to honour their patron saint and flamenco is at the heart of it. People of all ages don their flamenco finery and head out into the streets to dance, drink and eat and it’s a glorious celebration.

If you are visiting the Costa del Sol between May and September you should be able to take part in a feria. Estepona has two ferias – San Isidro the week of May 15th and the main one in July. Check out our Estepona Vacation Rentals

Marbella’s feria is in early June, Nueva Andalucia has theirs around the third week in July and San Pedro has theirs in the third week in October. We have great vacation rentals in Marbella and Nueva Andalucia which would be a great base so you can join the party.

The biggest feria of the year takes place in Malaga in August where you can dance the night away with thousands of others. Torremolinos feria the last week of September or the first week in October is also excellent and we have some great Torremolinos vacation rental properties for you to call home.

Be warned that feria is crazy, loud and chaotic, but if you can deal with the noise you’ll love it. Check with your local tourist office for times, concerts and performances. There is normally a day feria which is more focused around the flamenco, eating and drinking, followed by a night feria which normally includes a fun fair and dancing into the night. If it’s your first feria we’d recommend trying a smaller day one first! Marbella’s day feria is in the centre of town and a really lovely celebration of all things Spanish and we’d definitely recommend it.

Enjoy a flamenco experience as part of your next holiday to the Costa del Sol, we’re sure you’ll love it!