In 2010, flamenco was declared as world intangible cultural heritage by the UNESCO, so it can no longer be thought of as belonging only to southern Spain. However, it is true that Andalusia, and specifically the Costa del Sol, provides an huge number of venues to enjoy flamenco: bars, tablaos, peñas, festivals, schools and museums.
Flamenco is also an expression of the character and way of life of Malaga and its people. It is light, passion, a willingness to share and enthusiasm for life. On the Costa del Sol, people love to go outdoors, sit in sidewalk cafés, stroll through the streets and parks, and go for walks in the stunningly beautiful countryside.
Flamenco from Malaga
Malaga is the cradle of fandango, a well-known variety of flamenco and a forerunner of verdiales. The fandango is a song and dance show performed by a panda de verdiales; that is, a group made up by dancers (bailaoras), singers (cantaores) and musicians (tocaores). The instruments they play are the violin, guitar, tambourine, finger cymbals (platillos) and castanets (palillos). The group is always accompanied by an abanderao, who waves a flag to make it "dance" to the music.
Apart from the verdiales, another version of flamenco that originated in Malaga is the jabegote. It is a traditional fisherman's song from the Axarquía region. In Malaga city it is known as a malagueñas, which is accompanied only by a guitar, with no dancing.
The most prominent flamenco festivals
Many cities and towns in Malaga organise flamenco festivals. The longest-running ones are the Torre del Cante Flamenco Festival (in Alhaurín de la Torre), declared an Andalusian Festival of Tourist Interest; the Noche Flamenca in Villa de Alhaurín el Grande, the Cante Grande Festival in Ronda, and the Flamenco Festival in Casabermeja.
You can also find flamenco shows by international artists like Sara Baras, who came to the Cervantes theatre in Malaga in October.
Flamenco in the streets: bars and peñas
If there are no flamenco festivals being held during your trip to Malaga, no worries. You can still find live flamenco performances, with singing and dancing, in bars and peñas in Malaga city and almost every town, all year round. Artists like Lola Flores and Sidney Poitier found these small venues enchanting, and great flamenco artists like Camarón de la Isla and Paco de Lucía have performed in them.
Other options are restaurants where you can dine while enjoying a live flamenco show; flamenco tablaos similar to the zambras in Granada’s Sacromonte; and traditional tapas. To make sure you don't miss a single show, we recommend downloading the Flamenco Nau app, where you can book tickets to shows and be up to date on the programmes.
Flamenco schools
Apart from the specialised schools that teach guitar, song and dance, many Spanish schools on the Costa del Sol (for foreigners) organise flamenco activities and workshops.
Flamenco museum
Finally, the Peña Juan Breva Museum of Flamenco Art is a must if you are a passionate lover of flamenco or simply feel curious about it and want to learn more. The museum exhibits more than 5000 pieces, including one of the most important record collections in Spain, with samples from the 19th century, guitars over 200 years old, record players, posters, Manila silk shawls and tailed gowns.
