London – London once again became the home of flamenco this summer as the 21st edition of the Flamenco Festival brought two weeks of Spanish dance, music and culture to Sadler’s Wells venues from 16 to 29 June 2026.
Held across Sadler’s Wells Theatre, the Lilian Baylis Studio and Sadler’s Wells East, this year’s programme featured ten productions, including five UK premieres, showcasing internationally acclaimed dancers, choreographers and musicians alongside emerging voices in contemporary flamenco.
The festival opened on 16 June with UnYdos by Compañía de Danza Jesús Carmona, a performance exploring flamenco through styles including alegrías, taranto and soleá. Carmona was joined on stage by a guitarist, singer and special guests for an intimate production centred on the connection between performers and audience.
On 18 June, Compañía Rafaela Carrasco presented the UK premiere of Creaviva, in which six artists brought the nine ancient Greek muses to life through flamenco dance, live music and poetry. Featuring texts by Spanish poet Álvaro Tato, the production reflected on artistic creation and femininity while combining contemporary choreography with traditional flamenco.
The festival’s centrepiece, Gala Flamenca, took place on 19 and 20 June, bringing together four internationally recognised performers. The line-up included 2025 Olivier Award winner Eva Yerbabuena, Manuel Liñán, El Farru and Juan Tomás de la Molía, representing different generations and artistic approaches within flamenco.
On 24 June, acclaimed choreographer Rocío Molina returned to the festival with the UK premiere of Calentamiento. Co-directed with playwright Pablo Messiez and featuring musical direction by Niño de Elche, the work explored the idea of “warming up” through movement, music and voice, using a drum kit and metal chairs as part of its staging.
The following evening, Night of the Guitar paid tribute to legendary flamenco guitarist Agustín Castellón Campos, better known as Sabicas. Guitarists Gerardo Núñez, Antonio Rey and Álvaro Martinete honoured his legacy, while award-winning dancer Olga Pericet celebrated Sabicas’ artistic partnership with flamenco icon Carmen Amaya.
The Sadler’s Wells Theatre programme concluded with Tierra Bendita by Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía on 26 and 27 June. Directed and choreographed by Patricia Guerrero, the production celebrated the diverse flamenco traditions of Andalucía through a large-scale performance featuring 15 dancers alongside vocalists, guitarists and percussion.
The Lilian Baylis Studio hosted two music-focused performances on 20 June. Esther Merino presented En Tierra de Hombres, exploring women’s presence and creative authority through flamenco song, while later that evening acclaimed vocalist El Perrete performed music from his latest album Luz de Guía.
At Sadler’s Wells East, María Moreno presented the UK premiere of MAGNIFICAT on 28 June, interpreting the biblical story of the Visitation through flamenco dance, music and voice while exploring how joy and celebration can be expressed through movement.
The festival concluded on 29 June with another UK premiere, Rayuela, marking the 25th anniversary of dancer, choreographer and director Marco Flores’ career. Inspired by the traditional children’s game and Julio Cortázar’s novel of the same name, the work combined flamenco, contemporary dance and tap in a reflection on artistic freedom, identity and the search for meaning.
Ahead of the festival, a special performance was held at the National Gallery on 15 June. Viola player Fahmi Alqhai and Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía artistic director Patricia Guerrero presented a performance inspired by Baroque music to coincide with the Gallery’s exhibition dedicated to Spanish painter Zurbarán.
Founded in 2001 and directed by Miguel Marín, Flamenco Festival has become one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to flamenco. Over the past two decades it has presented more than 1,400 performances by over 200 companies in 116 cities, reaching audiences of more than 1.6 million people.
The 2026 Flamenco Festival concluded on Monday 29 June, after bringing two weeks of flamenco performances to Sadler’s Wells Theatre, the Lilian Baylis Studio and Sadler’s Wells East.
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