You can enjoy the best flamenco in Seville going to a flamenco bar. These are small bars where the atmosphere is more intimate and secluded.
Fortunately for you, Seville (and especially Triana) is full of flamenco bars where local artists, sometimes not very experienced but full of passion, spend their nights showing their art and style to the audience.
And, believe me, seeing a performance by passionate Sevillanos in the intimate surroundings of a flamenco bar is something you’ll never forget!
Have a look at my list of favorite venues where you can watch the best flamenco in Seville.
And if really have no clue of where to go… Well, this is the best flamenco show in Seville.
Where can you enjoy the best flamenco in Seville?
Without a doubt, flamenco bars are the ideal places to enjoy the best flamenco in Seville. These are traditional and intimate venues where you can feel the purest and most genuine flamenco in the heart of Seville.
In addition to flamenco bars, you can go to a peña flamenca. A peña flamenca is a small private club conceived and maintained by aficionados dedicated to preserving the art. However, peñas flamencas can be hard to come by and your best bet in finding them is through word of mouth or posters taped to walls.
Flamenco bars are much the same. The city if full of them, but in most cases you may have to wander Seville’s streets until you are lucky enough to stumble upon a performance in an unmarked bar, and let the music lure you in.
So because most of them are off the beaten path and in secluded locations, I have created a list with my favorite places (more details below).
What type of flamenco show can you see at a flamenco bar?
Contrary to tablaos or other small venues, shows at bares flamencos rely almost entirely on improvisation. Sometimes even a person from the audience may stand up and sing!
Discovering flamenco in one of these bars is a unique opportunity to getting reacquainted with the most intimate and pure flamenco of Seville. Here you will find shows that connect with flamenco’s roots by focusing less on commercial songs and more on earthy Romani-derived music.
In addition this, you’ll rarely see bailaoras with their beautiful dresses in these places. This is mainly because of the venues’ small size – the lack of a wooden stage prevents any potential footwork.
There aren’t any colorful dresses or castañuelas. Flamenco is spontaneous, ramshackle and soulful.
If you are keen on watching a full and professional dancing performance, I recommend you to go to a tablao flamenco.
When does the show takes place at a flamenco bar?
Flamenco bars open late and stay open until late morning.
So if you do as the Sevillanos do, you’ll have a full breakfast late morning, a late lunch, tapas in the evening and dinner late evening. This will give you the chance of getting there right when the action starts.
In most cases, the music won’t start before 21:30-22:00…
My personal selection of flamenco bars in Seville
Most of the bars that I mention in the list below don’t charge you for the entrance. And I know that reading the words “flamenco show for free” may sound shady. Well, it’s not.
The only thing you are expected to do is to order a drink (or two!).
So trust me when I say that these they are great places to enjoy the best flamenco in Seville. I have been to many of them myself, and this is where the locals and connoisseurs go.
One final thing. Take into consideration that some of them are not only related to flamenco shows. Thus, depending on the day, you may find there is some other live music show going on.
My favorite option: Lo Nuestro
Address: Calle Betis, 33
Probably the best known flamenco bar in Seville. Located in one of the key nightlife areas of the city, this bar is surrounded by discos and other pubs, breaking the pattern. The style is much more vivid and based on dances such as sevillanas (very popular especially during the Feria de Abril).
El Rejoneo
Address: Calle Betis, 31
El Rejoneo is right next door of Lo Nuestro and it’s a great option in case the latest is completely crowded. If you are lucky you may see a bailaor but the usual is to listen to a guitar performance or a cuadro flamenco.
El Mantoncillo
Address: Calle Alfarería, 104
It’s a place with very strong bonds to the flamenco world and the bullfights. The walls are full of pictures related to famous people: tocaores, cantaores, toreros…
El Bombete
Address: Calle Procurador, 27
Run by Carlos Cadaval, El Bombete is a friendly bar where spontaneous tocaores will cheer up the ambience.
Mariscal
Address: Calle Mariscal, 3
Mariscal is a fascinating place located in the old Jewish neighborhood. Not easy to see at first sight, look for an orange door almost hidden by the plants. The show starts after midnight and if you happen to listen to the song dedicated to the Virgin (salve rocíera) you’ll be extremely lucky. It’s a must to experience different styles.
Lola de los Reyes
Address: Calle Pureza, 107
Compared to the rest, Lola de los Reyes offers a much more upscaled audience and atmosphere. The cante there is usually spectacular. But you won’t find shows every day of the week, only from Thursday to Sunday.
Simpecao
Address: Calle Castilla, 82
To get there you need to take the riverwalk along the Guadalquivir. This is a great place for improvised flamenco. On your way back, enjoy the spectacular views of the bridge.
T de Triana
Address: Calle Betis, 9
Mainly a tapas bar but you have the chance to see some flamenco on Thursdays and Saturdays around 22:30.
La Carbonería
Address: Calle Levíes, 18
Very popular among young people (particularly university students) the ambience is extremely welcoming and international. The shows are not pure flamenco but mainly flamenco fusión and jazz.
El Tejar
Address: Calle San Jacinto, 68
This bar is located in the main street of Triana. Less devoted to flamenco than the others I mentioned before but still a very good place to have a drink. You may stumble upon some flamenco fusión show by chance.
Sala Flamenco
Address: Calle Castilla, 137
The premises are very modern but full of magic… The main room is large, has a bar, tables and chairs, space to stand and dance and a stage where the artists perform a great show.
Map of flamenco shows in Seville
Apart from the list that I just shared with you, you can go to many other venues in Seville and enjoy a nice flamenco show.
Here you have a map where you can locate them.
This article is part of a complete tutorial about flamenco in Seville where you can read all the information you need to enjoy this typical Andalusian folklore.
Here is a complete summary of all the guide:
1. What is flamenco?
2. Where to see flamenco in Seville?
3. The best flamenco show in Seville
4. Flamenco tablaos in Seville
5. Small flamenco venues in Seville
6. Flamenco bars in Seville
7. 6 tips to enjoy flamenco dancing in Seville
8. Where to take flamenco classes in Seville
9. Flamenco history and origins
10. Understanding flamenco singing (cante)
11. Understanding flamenco dance (baile)
12. Understanding flamenco guitar (toque)
13. The different flamenco styles
14. A flamenco glossary