Flamenco Festival New York Marks 25 Years with Record Attendance
The festival featured performances and talks at venues including Joe's Pub, the Met, and the Guggenheim, with a special focus on Seville as the guest city
FLAMENCO FESTIVAL NEW YORK CONCLUDES 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION WITH 25,500 ATTENDEES
The milestone edition featured 40 performances across multiple U.S. cities, including New York.
Flamenco Festival New York has concluded its 25th anniversary edition, reporting a total attendance of 25,500 across 40 performances presented in New York, Miami, Tampa, Chicago, and Boston. The festival achieved an average attendance rate of 86 percent, with 60 percent of performances sold out.
The 2026 edition, which featured Seville as its guest city, opened on February 25 with a sold-out event at the CUNY Graduate Center. Additional talks and lecture-performances at the New York Public Library and Instituto Cervantes also sold out, reflecting continued interest in flamenco as both a performance and academic discipline.
Festival director Miguel Marín said, “this has been one of the most moving editions, marked by the generosity of the artists in their tributes to those who paved the way, leaving moments that will remain in our memory.” He also noted the audience response, calling it “extraordinary, with a very diverse audience sharing unique experiences in venues such as Joe's Pub, the Met, and the Guggenheim.”
Programming in New York included performances at venues such as New York City Center, where Gala Flamenca received critical attention, and Baryshnikov Arts, which hosted two sold-out performances of Fiesta Flamenca. The production featured artists including Manuel Liñán, Juan Tomás de la Molía, Alberto Sellés, Mara Rey, Juan de la María, and José Fermín Fernández. According to Marín, “they were, without a doubt, some of the most magical moments of this edition.”
Other sold-out performances included YARIN at the Guggenheim Museum, featuring Jon Maya and Andrés Marín, and De Carmencita a Pericet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, marking the venue’s first participation in the festival. At Joe’s Pub, multiple performances sold out, including appearances by José Fermín Fernández, Irene Morales, Juan Tomás de la Molía, Sonia Olla, and Ismael Fernández.
At New York City Center, Sara Baras presented VUELA, a work marking the 25th anniversary of her company and honoring guitarist Paco de Lucía. Additional programming included a sold-out “Tribute to Lola Flores” at Bronx Music Hall, featuring Bobby Sanabria and the Ascensión Band alongside Mara Rey and Jennifer Jade.
Educational programming also remained a focus of the festival. Approximately 2,000 students attended a school performance of Gala Flamenca, contributing to a total of more than 27,000 students reached through the festival’s educational initiatives over its history.
Marín said, “this union between artists, memory, and a devoted audience has given rise to unforgettable nights, in which the city, the venues, and flamenco have come together to create something truly special.”
Over its 25-year history, Flamenco Festival has presented more than 1,400 performances in 120 cities, featuring over 180 artists and serving as an international platform for flamenco and Spanish performing arts.
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