Home Entertainment in Vancouver Vancouver Shows and Entertainment Calendar in 2025 Vancouver International Flamenco Festival

Vancouver International Flamenco Festival

Vancouver Flamenco Festival

The Vancouver International Flamenco Festival celebrates the Spanish dance art with a series of performances each year that showcase both music and dance.

Last year the festival ran from September 12th until the 22nd. Exact dates for 2025’s festival are to be confirmed. To learn more, visit the vancouverflamencofestival.org website or continue reading.

Some of the featured performers at last year’s festival included Marco Flores (from Spain), Sarah Bronsard (from Montreal), Melón Jiménez (from Spain), and the Flamencolía Dance Company (from Toronto).

 

Qairo Findefiest
Qairo Findefiest (photo by C. Von Tiedemann)

 

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.

Last year’s festival took place on select dates between September 12th and 22nd. Along with a couple of days of free shows, there were 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 last year’s shows ranged from around $30 to up to $80 depending on which show you attended and which seats you selected. The prices in 2025 will likely be comprarable, although this is to be confirmed. 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.

 

Vancouver Flamenco Festival at Granville Island

 

Schedule of Events

Below were the dates for both the free and ticketed shows in 2024.

 

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.

 

Flamenco at Granville Island Picnic Shelter
Flamenco Performance at Granville Island

 

Free Shows

The free shows take place at Picnic Pavilion at 267 Old Bridge Walk on Granville Island. Last year the free outdoor performances ran on the weekend of September 21st and 22nd.

The 2024 schedule of free performances at Picnic Pavilion is below. (Note: Exact times and other details were subject to change.)

 

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

 

Calle Verde Flamenco Dancer
Calle Verde Flamenco Dancer

 

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.

 

Rocio Molina
Rocio Molina (Photo by Simone Fratini)

 

Flamenco Masterclasses

In addition to the above performances, last year’s festival also featured Masterclass sessions where professional flamenco dancers gave flamenco dancing lessons. The Masterclass events in 2024 included the following:

  • September 15th – Marco Flores led basic, intermediate and advanced sessions at Scotiabank Dance Centre. They cost between $50 and $75 each.
  • September 16th – a beginner-level session with Rosario Ancer. This took place at the Waterfront Theatre and admission was free.
  • September 17th – a course open to all levels led by Carlos Lobo at the Scotiabank Dance Centre. Registration cost about $80 each.
  • September 21st – Deborah Dawson taught Indian Sevillanas at the Scotiabank Dance Centre for about $45 per person.

 

For full details about the performances, visit the Vancouver International Flamenco Festival website.

 

Flamenco Rosario Dance Performance
Flamenco Rosario in Vancouver

 

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: