Flamenco on Every Corner of Barcelona

Among all the virtues flamenco possesses, one has allowed it to spread farther and wider over its two-century history: its ability to adapt to any environment. In Barcelona—as in other flamenco capitals like Seville or Madrid—the offering of flamenco singing and dancing suits all budgets and all spaces: even in places not traditionally linked to flamenco, there’s always a corner reserved for this deep-rooted art. Here’s a small guide to the flamenco experiences beyond the traditional tablaos of Barcelona.

Bars, Bookshops, Restaurants, Cocktail Lounges

The bar with the most consistent and ongoing flamenco programming is Robadors 23. Located at the address in its name, in the Raval neighborhood, it hosts guitar, percussion, singing, and dancing gigs two or three times a week, and has done so for several years. Each show (some nights there are two sessions) seats about 30 people, so arriving early is recommended as it fills up quickly.

Another iconic bar with a flamenco tradition is Los Juanele, near Paral·lel, where every Thursday the collective Flamenco de Cerca presents a recital of singing and guitar (without microphones), and on Fridays, the venue transforms into a casa rociera where enthusiasts dance sevillanas.

Paraigua, another historic nightlife spot in the Gothic Quarter, is a cocktail lounge transformed into a small tablao, where guests can also enjoy tapas alongside the performances.

Slowly but surely, flamenco is also finding a home in Barcelona’s bookshops. One example is Librería Byron, traditionally more associated with jazz, but now opening its cultural programming to flamenco. Located in the right side of the Eixample district, it has hosted several performances as part of the Ciutat Flamenco festival. Just this past spring, it featured Luz y Fuego, a show by flamenco dancer Rafael Amargo, on its small stage.

Even upscale restaurants are embracing flamenco. One such place is Jacqueline, in the left Eixample. Specializing in seafood, shellfish, and Mediterranean cuisine, it also includes a Japanese bar for small private groups with a personal chef, and a Jazz Club. Despite the name, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Sundays, the lower floor of the restaurant becomes a small tablao where diners can enjoy live flamenco singing, guitar, and dance.

Tablaos in Historic Buildings

The flamenco scene in Barcelona keeps expanding, and in less than a year, two new tablaos have opened—great news for flamenco lovers and artists in the city. In December 2024, Tablao Flamenco La Laietana opened on the street of the same name, between the Gothic Quarter and El Born. With one or two performances per day, four artists present their flamenco art in the former headquarters of Banca Jover. The entrance still features the original ticket windows once used by bankers. La Laietana is part of the Otto Zutz Group, which also runs Tablao Palau Dalmases, a 17th-century palace in El Born, and Tablao City Hall, a theater that transforms into a nightclub at night near Plaça Catalunya. It’s not the only one: Tarantos, in Plaça Reial, and El Duende (run by Tablao Flamenco Cordobés), located on Las Ramblas, also become dance clubs after their flamenco sessions.

Just a few minutes’ walk from Tablao Dalmases, also in El Born, the Artesred Group has recently landed in Barcelona. This group manages the Teatro Flamenco brand in Madrid, Seville, Málaga, and Granada. Since early this year, they have also operated in Casa Montagut, an 18th-century palace now renovated to function as a tablao under the name Teatro Flamenco Barcelona, where flamenco singing recitals are offered in addition to the regular program.

Also noteworthy is the Gran Gala Flamenco, under the musical direction of guitarist Chicuelo. For over 22 years, this show has taken place several times a week on two of the city’s most iconic cultural stages: the Palau de la Música, a modernist gem in the cityscape, and the Teatre Poliorama, which opened on Las Ramblas in 1899.

Clubs and Festivals

Flamenco initiatives are popping up all over the city, and one of the most stable is Flamenco Queer, founded by dancer Rubén Heras. In addition to producing his own music, he has brought flamenco dance to bars like Candy and La Federica. Another Flamenco Queer co-founder, guitarist Jero Férec, leads the project Las Brujas Flamenco Club. In a venue located in the Gothic Quarter, near the port, a small gallery of flamenco photographs leads visitors to a basement that recreates a cave from Granada, where guests enjoy flamenco dance, guitar, and singing performances.

Two of Barcelona’s most iconic and large-scale music festivals, Sónar and Primavera Sound, are also beginning to include contemporary flamenco acts in their lineups. In its most recent edition, Primavera Sound featured singers Israel Fernández and Lela Soto alongside the Andalusian group Frente Abierto, while Sónar welcomed Yerai Cortés and Chano Domínguez with his flamenco jazz and electronic music project.

Barcelona offers flamenco for every taste. Tablaos are just one part of the flamenco ecosystem, coexisting with many different kinds of venues. Our colleagues at Tablao Cordobés, on Las Ramblas, have a slogan that says: “Flamenco belongs in the tablao.” It’s a powerful statement that asserts the tablao as the place where artists can best develop their craft and find stability—where flamenco became professional and has held the magic of arte jondo for over a century.