Flamenco Festival London Kicks Off

By Londonist Staff Last edited 97 months ago
Flamenco Festival London Kicks Off
Sara Baras. Photo by Santana de Yepes.

Stamp your cares away as the cream of Spain’s flamenco community comes to Islington for a series of dance and song performances as part of the 13th edition of Sadler’s Wells annual Flamenco Festival, starting today.

Highlights this year include one-woman-hurricane Sara Baras, who will take to the stage with 15 performers as she pays tribute to the six great artists who have inspired her. Then Andalusian master Farruquito will be dancing away his demons after a tough few years in which he was imprisoned for a hit and run. Here he'll be accompanied by his brother Farruco as they get lost in the music. Rising stars Marco Flores and Olga Pericet are also worth a look as they pair up to demonstrate just how passionate mixed doubles can be. The Gala Bienal de Sevilla will also bring together a host of award-winning dancers.

For those who prefer the music to the movement, try Vicente Amigo, a Latin Grammy winning legend on the flamenco guitar. There’s also Esperanza Fernández who's famous for mixing her native gypsy cante with other flamenco techniques and more experimental music. Meanwhile, Niño de Elche will be going to the extreme with his poetry-inspired singing.

Before each performance there’ll be a chance to see Beyond Flamenco, a film of highlights from the 10th edition of the festival, screening in the Pina Bausch Room.

Flamenco Festival London is on at Sadler's Wells, Rosebery Ave EC1R 4TN, 16-28 February. Tickets £12-£40 depending on the show.

Last Updated 16 February 2016