The Vancouver International Flamenco Festival celebrates the Spanish dance art with a series of performances each year that showcase both music and dance.
In 2025 the festival runs from September 20th to 28th. To learn more, visit the vancouverflamencofestival.org website or continue reading below.
Some of the featured performers at this year’s festival include Flamenco Rosario, José ‘El Cachito’ Diaz, Caroline Planté and Karen Flamenco.
Vancouver’s Flamenco Festival
Flamenco is synonymous with traditional Spanish dancing. This art form is born from the various folklore music traditions of southern Spain. It comprises three elements – song (cante), dance (baile) and music (toque). Flamenco is closely associated with the traditional dance and music of the Andalusian gitanos, also known as gypsies.
The Vancouver International Flamenco Festival burst onto the scene in the 1990s and continues to entertain audiences to this day with its robust dancing. There are both free and ticketed performances as well as other types of events.
The 2025 festival takes place between September 20th and 28th. Along with a couple of days of free shows, there are around six ticketed performances and some workshops.
The main hub for the festival is Granville Island. There are a series of ticketed shows at Waterfront Theatre while the free shows happen at Picnic Pavilion. The festival is produced by the Vancouver-based dance company, Flamenco Rosario.
For full details about the performances, visit the Vancouver International Flamenco Festival website.
Admission for the Shows
Prices for this year’s shows range from around $30 up to $60 depending on which shows you attend and which seats you select. There is no registration needed for the free performances. You can just show up and enjoy them whenever you want and for as long as you’d like.
Schedule of Events
Below were the dates for both the free and ticketed shows in 2024. The 2025 lineup will likely be similar.
Ticketed Shows in 2024
The following shows took place as ticketed events. Three of them were at the Waterfront Theatre at 1412 Cartwright Street on Granville Island.
- Friday, September 13th – Compañía Marco Flores at 8:00 pm at Vancouver Playhouse
- Saturday, September 14th – Compañía Marco Flores at 8:00 pm at Vancouver Playhouse
- Sunday, September 15th – La Música del Flamenco at 8:00 pm at St James Community Square
- Wednesday, September 18th – La Sporee/Sarah Bronsard at 8:00 pm at Waterfront Theatre
- Thursday, September 19th – Falemncolía Dance Company at 8:00 pm at Waterfront Theatre
- Friday, September 20th – Lara Wong & Melón Jiménez at 8:00 pm at Waterfront Theatre
Free Shows
The free shows take place at Picnic Pavilion at 267 Old Bridge Walk on Granville Island. This year the free outdoor performances run on the weekend of September 20th and 21st. Performances happen between 2:00 and 5:30 pm on both days. As of early July, lineup details are to be confirmed.
For an idea of what to expect, the schedule of free performances from 2024 is below (and the 2025 lineup will likely be comparable).
Saturday, September 21st, 2024
- 2:00 pm – Deborah “La Caramelita” (Deborah Dawson)
- 3:00 pm – Iminah Kani & Guest Artists
- 4:00 pm – Liat Har Lev / Lili Flamenco
- 5:00 pm – Flamenco Rosario
Sunday, September 22nd, 2024
- 1:00 pm – Karen Flamenco
- 2:00 pm – La Luna
- 3:00 pm – Al Mozaico Flamenco Dance Academy
- 4:00 pm – Cyrena “La Sirena”
- 5:00 pm – Jhoely Triana
For full details about the performances, visit the Vancouver International Flamenco Festival website.
Flamenco Masterclasses
In addition to all of the performances, this year’s festival also features Masterclass sessions where professional flamenco dancers give flamenco dancing lessons. Exact details about the Masterclass events in 2025, however, are to be confirmed.
For full details about the performances, visit the Vancouver International Flamenco Festival website.
Other Information
To learn more about the festival, visit the Vancouver International Flamenco Festival website.
For information about another dance event, and to learn more about flamenco in general, see our article about Carnaval del Sol’s Flamenco, Tango and Wine Night. That event usually features performances by Flamenco Rosario as well as other dance companies including Mozaico Flamenco.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- Vancouver Festivals and Events
- Granville Island
- Entertainment in Vancouver
- Vancouver Theatre Companies and Venues
- History and Culture in Vancouver
- Vancouver International Dance Festival
- Vancouver Coastal First Nations Dance Festival
