Flamenco Festival London celebrates its 20th anniversary with a historic edition honouring tradition, female talent, and the best of flamenco

Flamenco Festival London reaches an unforgettable milestone in 2025: 20 years as a major showcase of flamenco in Europe, establishing itself as one of the most prestigious international platforms for flamenco dance, singing, and guitar. To celebrate, the event brings together an unprecedented line-up: 17 companies, 146 artists and technicians, 25 performances in four London venues and a special cycle, ‘Ellas, Flamencas’, spotlighting the strength, creativity, and artistry of women in flamenco.

From 27 May to 8 June, London audiences will enjoy both iconic performances and fresh perspectives that reflect the evolution of flamenco in the 21st century. Sara Baras, Farruquito, Manuel Liñán, Patricia Guerrero, La Plazuela, Las Migas, Rosario La Tremendita, Queralt Lahoz and the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía are just some of the featured artists.

This edition was presented on 10 April 2025 at a press conference by Miguel Marín, Festival Director, joined by Víctor Ugarte (Director of Instituto Cervantes London), Cristóbal Ortega (Director of the Andalusian Institute of Flamenco), José Lucas Chaves Maza (Director of SGAE Andalucía, Ceuta and Melilla), and Francisco José Arcángel Ramos (Institutional Director of Flamenco at Fundación SGAE), alongside many of the scheduled companies and artists, gathered at the Andalusian headquarters of the Fundación SGAE, at Cartuja Center CITE.

«It’s been two decades since that first edition in 2004 and, although the festival has grown and evolved, its spirit remains intact: to be a window in Europe through which the current flamenco landscape can be viewed»

The return of the legends: great names in dance for a landmark edition

Sara Baras opens the festival with six performances of “Vuela” (27 May – 1 June, Sadler’s Wells), a show created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her company and pay tribute to the legendary Paco de Lucía. With 13 musicians and dancers on stage, Baras takes the audience on a choreographic journey divided into four symbolic acts: wood, sea, death, and flight.

On 2 June, Manuel Liñán, National Dance Award winner (2017), presents “Muerta de Amor”, a piece steeped in copla aesthetics, filled with desire, fantasy, and provocation, featuring 12 artists on stage.

On 3 June, Mercedes Ruiz from Jerez premieres “Romancero del baile flamenco”, a celebration of the classical flamenco canon, where the body becomes speech and dance becomes a universal language.

On 4 June, Farruquito — a cornerstone of the festival since its inaugural edition — returns with “Con-Cierto Flamenco”, joined by his son Juan ‘El Moreno’. The piece revives the most intense moments of his career through a mix of memory and improvisation.

The closing of Sadler’s Wells East on 8 June is entrusted to Estévez and Paños, recipients of the National Dance Award (2019). Their “Retablo experimental sobre el baile flamenco” is a synesthetic experience where footwork, voice, light, and body merge to explore flamenco’s expressive possibilities from tradition to experimentation.

‘Ellas, Flamencas’: showcasing female talent in flamenco

This 20th edition gives a central role to female artists through the cycle ‘Ellas, Flamencas’, held at the Lilian Baylis Studio. This celebration of female voices in flamenco is made possible through the ongoing partnership with the Instituto Cervantes, which shares the festival’s commitment to promoting female creativity and flamenco culture internationally.

On 31 May, “Reflexiones sobre las Parcas”, a collaborative work by Paula Comitre, Florencia Oz, and Carmen Angulo, blends flamenco, electronic music, and folklore, inspired by forgotten Spanish female composers and mythological symbolism. That same evening, Rosario La Tremendita brings “Matancera”, a powerful performance fusing electric bass, percussion, and raw vocals.

On 5 June, Argentina performs “Flamenco por cantaora”, journeying through lesser-known forms like cartagenera, granaína, and petenera, with a focus on her local style: fandangos from Huelva. Later that night, Queralt Lahoz presents “En acústico”, blending flamenco with soul, hip-hop, dancehall, and bolero.

On 6 June, Lela Soto brings “El fuego que llevo dentro”, her debut album and tribute to her family’s flamenco heritage. That same night, Ángeles Toledano closes the cycle with “En concierto”, a show of intimate strength that merges flamenco tradition with modern emotional depth.

The Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía, under the direction of Patricia Guerrero, presents “Pineda” (6 & 7 June, Sadler’s Wells), a passionate reimagining of Lorca’s play about Mariana Pineda, a symbol of freedom, personal conviction, and female empowerment.

The flamenco of tomorrow: new languages, new generations

Flamenco Festival London reaffirms its commitment to contemporary creation and the exploration of new sonic landscapes in this 20th edition. Today’s flamenco draws from its roots, but also engages with other musical languages, integrates technology, and projects itself into the future. This edition thus becomes a window into flamenco’s future, with artists expanding its aesthetic and conceptual boundaries.

On 31 May, the spotlight is on Las Migas, a quartet of women who have become one of the most poetic and innovative voices in contemporary flamenco. They will perform at the Jazz Café on the eve of the release of their new album, “Flamencas” — their sixth — marking a return to flamenco’s essence from a mestizo and modern perspective, where voice and guitar take centre stage. That same night at Lilian Baylis Studio, Rosario La Tremendita brings “Matancera”, a visceral performance combining flamenco vocals, electric bass, and percussion. With her deeply personal artistic vision, she creates a space where avant-garde and tradition converge, breaking conventions and embracing raw, emotional expression.

On 7 June, it’s the turn of La Plazuela, an experimental flamenco duo from Granada formed by Manuel Hidalgo Sierra ‘El Indio’ and Luis Abril Martín ‘El Nitro’. At the Jazz Café, they’ll perform two sessions of their high-energy live show “Roneo Funk Club” — their debut album, blending traditional Andalusian flamenco with electronic, nu funk, and urban sounds. Their London debut brings a refreshing fusion that resonates with new generations and defies boundaries. In its pursuit of new formats and audiences, the festival welcomes for the first time the Jazz Café, one of London’s most eclectic and vibrant music venues, reinforcing its commitment to taking flamenco beyond theatre stages and into urban cultural spaces.

The art of the guitar: flamenco’s expressive force at the center

The flamenco guitar, the beating heart of the genre, is featured prominently in a dedicated guitar series, co-produced with Kings Place and the International Guitar Foundation, and supported by Fundación SGAE through its FlamencoEÑE programme. Over three unique evenings, the guitar becomes a narrative force, expressing flamenco through rhythm, emotion, and improvisation.

• 29 May: Alejandro Hurtado, one of the most promising flamenco guitarists today, shares the stage with Inmaculada Salomón, principal dancer of the Spanish National Ballet, in “Miradas” — a programme ranging from pre-flamenco works to his own compositions, alongside pieces by Albéniz, Tárrega, and Falla.
• 30 May: Guitarist Manuel Valencia and dancer Antonio Molina ‘El Choro’ present “Las tres orillas”, a performance that reflects Valencia’s musical evolution across diverse flamenco styles. El Choro brings dynamic, expressive dance to this emotive journey.
• 8 June: The cycle concludes with Álvaro Martinete and dancer Claudia ‘La Debla’ in “Armonía flamenca”, featuring rondeñas, soleás, guajiras, alegrías, and bulerías — a dialogue between tradition and contemporary aesthetics.

“Flamenco Festival is a window through which international audiences can glimpse the directions flamenco is taking today. A celebration of its richness, diversity, and ongoing evolution.”