Sevilla Travel Forum

Hi Folks,

My GF and I are off to seville in 7 days and we would quite like to catch some Flamenco...we're not looking for anything to OTT (tourist) although if that is all that's available then so be it. Does anyone know of any good clubs/venues to watch Flamenco?

we're also hoping to catch a bull fight, although I think the season is over now isn't it?

Thanks in advance
Jules

That's your opinion and you are entitled to it.
I personally see nothing wrong with it and having seen several bull fights in Madrid over the last few years, I always try and catch a fight when I'm in Spain.
I guess the same could well be said for fox hunting in the UK, some people agree with it and some do not.

I think the bull fighting season may still be running. As it is still summery down there at this time of year and I think it is a summer passtime. I was there october last year and the bull ring tour was great, it is a huge place!

There was a place that locals and some tourists go to for flamenco...But I can't recal the name! Eeek! Sorry! It has a small entrance hall, then a large, vast area behind with benches for sitting and drinking. It's down a back street and the dancing is over by 11, beware! as we missed it!

Another place I saw it is the little bar called El Tamboril. (the tamborine) in a squre right near the centre of town, it has a big wrought iron cross in the centre of the square and you have to get in early before they shut the doors, turn off all the lights and have flamenco singing and dancing. I was there for that 3 years ago and it was amazing!

sorry i can't be clearer about the other venue, but ask around with the details I've given you!

Hey thanks Caro,

You've been a superb help! As you've said, i'm sure I can ask around and will hopefully find out! So thanks :-) really looking forward to the trip!
I'll check out the bull ring and see what I can find too :-)

Nice homepage/blog by the way :-)

Cheers

Jules

It was a pleasure, and good choice by the way, I and my 3 friends adored Seville!

Hi,
I am going to Seville too, in october, and am searching for the same things as you are doing (bulls and flamenco)
Looks like the bull fighting season is over,ends 30 september- so I can only visit the arena and the museum( what I surely will do)
For(real)flamenco I am told to go to the Casa memoria- a sort of cultural centre, where real flamenco is going on every night ( duration one hour)
cost: 13 euros
http://sefarad.rediris.es/textos/0casamemoria.htm

or casa carmen
http://www.casacarmenarteflamenco.com/

but here you have to take a dinner too ( total cost: 35 euros)

you can read some reviews about the casa de la memoria here:
http://www.tripadvisor.es/Attraction_Review-g187443-d539294-Reviews-Casa_de_la_Memoria_de_Al_Andalus-Seville_Andalusia.html

maybe you are a vegetarian, but lots of people eat mussels and lobster, while they are cooked alive, and nobody cares.
and about the young man: it's his own choice !!

sorry,
last reply was for littledoo

Hey thanks Piano,

I'm just at airport, waiting for flight we tons of Seville football fans!! Should be a fun flight...
I've heard of Casa Memoria and it seems a really good club/venue...I think I'll be going there once or twice! - I'll let you know how it goes.

Have a good trip too!!

Exactly. Realities of bull fighting: have you ever noticed those white sticks coming out of the side of the bull? Thats because they are speared (yes stabbed with a big spear) in the side before the fight to a) make them aggressive and angry, and b) slow them down. At the end of each match (and there are approx 7 matches at a single event) the bull is slaughted. Maybe Jules you know what you are getting yourself in for, but for anyone else, you might find this barbaric and disgusting. Just a warning.

Carolondon, I think the place you're talking about is La Carboneria. I spent a lot of late nights there after the flamenco show was over. It does end at 11pm, but in my opinion, the spontaneous flamenco that is often played/sung/danced after the majority of the tourists leave is better than the show. Most of the crowds are gone, and the atmosphere is more intimate. Plus, the flamenco is more pure since it is done randomly and not for the purpose of entertaining tourists.

Casa de la Memoria was one of my other favorite flamenco venues. Be sure to book tickets in advance though, the shows often sell out. It's a small venue and the shows aren't huge productions, but that's what I liked about it. If you ever have a chance to see Felipe Mato dance (he often dances at Casa de la Memoria), definitely see him - he's one of the best I've ever seen.

If you want more info on these venues and others, check out my Seville page - I wrote more details there.

Hey Thanks,
I'm just recently back from my trip and it was fantastic! Saw some superb things and events. It's such a superb country!!
I went to Casa de la Memoria & Carmen and met some wonderful people and certainly saw some great shows!! So thanks for the info guys :-)

Littledoo,

"Why have animals doing things for the pleasure of humans when they have no say in it - have a visit to Monkey World in Dorset and see some of the chimps that have been rescued from beach photographers etc around the world and find out the immense cruelty that was inflicted on them just so some silly tourist can have a photo taken with an animal that clearly doesn't belong in that environment."

by your statment are you suggesting that tourists are to blame for bull fighting too?
Because, from what I've seen and understand of the sport, a)it's part of their culture and b) a lot of Spanish people actually like going to or watching the evenst on TV etc!!
And with all due respect I don't need a lesson from someone like you regarding what I should and should not do on my trips?

Hi
I just came home from Seville. The flamenco show at the Casa de la memoria was fantastic, and there was a bull fight on friday 12 october (dia de la hispanidad). One bullfighter and six bulls, he got 4 ears and he was carried trought the gate - his name is: Salvador Cortès. It was a great fight.