2026 Flamenco Festival is Coming to Sadler's Wells This Summer

The vibrancy, heat and passion of Spain will ignite London this Summer via the 21st annual Flamenco Festival – on for two weeks from Tuesday 16 – Monday 29 June 2026. Venues across the city, including Sadler's Wells Theatre and the Lilian Baylis Studio in Islington and Sadler's Wells East in Stratford, will host 10 distinctive productions (including five UK premieres) from world-renowned flamenco dancers, choreographers and musicians – showcasing the very best the genre has to offer. 

Highlights include a reimagining of the ancient Greek muses from acclaimed flamenco dancer and choreographer Rafaela Carrasco, a tribute to the late, great pioneering guitarist Sabicas in Night of the Guitar, an epic performance from the birthplace of flamenco featuring 15 dancers in Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía, and it wouldn't be the Flamenco Festival without the centrepiece performance - Gala Flamenca – which will this year feature a performance from Eva Yerbabuena who won the 2025 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance.

This year the Flamenco Festival will also host a special performance by viola player Fahmi Alqhai and Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía artistic director Patricia Guerrero at the National Gallery on Monday 15 June, to coincide with their upcoming Zurbarán exhibition.

The Flamenco Festival, now in its 21st year, is dedicated to showcasing and promoting Spanish culture worldwide. Under the direction of Miguel Marín, the festival's annual international events serve as a platform for presenting today's foremost flamenco luminaries — from internationally acclaimed artists and venerable icons of traditional flamenco to the most cutting-edge and promising young talents in dance, music, and song. Established in 2001, Flamenco Festival has evolved into the premier global platform for flamenco, captivating over 1.6 million people annually. Across 116 cities, it has featured more than 200 companies in 1,400 performances, elevating flamenco to a vital part of prestigious theatres worldwide, including NY City Center, Carnegie Hall, London Sadler's Wells, Arsht Center in Miami, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, and more.

On his excitement to be sharing this year's programme, Festival Director Miguel Marín said: 

“Flamenco is a living language - one that carries memory, identity, and transformation within it. This year's programme invites audiences to experience that living pulse: a journey where tradition and creation meet, where the past resonates in the present, and where new voices continue to shape its future. In London, flamenco finds a stage where it can continue to grow, to take risks, and to connect deeply with the world of today”.

This year's festival kicks off on Tuesday 16 June with UnYdos from Compañía de Danza Jesús Carmona, showcasing flamenco in its purest and broadest form over two nights – including the styles of the energetic alegrías, the reverent taranto, and the emotional soleá. Renowned artist Jesús Carmona will share the stage with a guitarist, a singer and some special guests for an intimate performance replete with powerful moments of connection between the performers and the audience.  
 
This will be followed on Thursday 18 June by the UK premiere of Creaviva from Compañía Rafaela Carrasco in which six artists will bring to life the nine ancient Greek muses through a lively evening of flamenco dance, live music and poetry. The performance promises to be an ode to inspiring femininity and a reflection on what it means to be an artist today. Carrasco, who is known for a contemporary approach that still honours tradition, blends past and present in Creaviva, which includes texts by Spanish poet Álvaro Tato.  
 
On Friday 19 and Saturday 20 June, Sadler's Wells Theatre in Islington will host the famed centrepiece of the festival – the Gala Flamenca – which this year unites four internationally recognized flamenco dancers.

The lineup includes Eva Yerbabuena, winner of last year's Outstanding Achievement in Dance Olivier Award, who is renowned for her innovative interpretations of the soleá - a traditional solo performance that conveys deep emotion. She is joined by festival favourite Manuel Liñán, known for his subversive takes on flamenco, and whose previous works include the Olivier Award-nominated ¡VIVA! (2022) and Muerta de Amor (2025).

El Farru, a dancer from one of the most prestigious families in the flamenco tradition - the Farruco family - also joins the Gala lineup. He made his professional debut at age six and has since performed across the USA and Europe, collaborating with artists including Beyoncé, Björk, Marc Anthony and Paulina Rubio. The Gala's cast is completed by rising star Juan Tomás de la Molía, following his unforgettable solo in last year's Muerta de Amor. 

On Wednesday 24 June, acclaimed flamenco innovator Rocío Molina (who was awarded the 2022 Venice Biennale Silver Lion) returns to the Flamenco Festival for the UK premiere of her latest work, Calentamiento - a raw, intimate exploration of the body as it prepares. Molina and a group of female singers use a drum kit and a collection of metal chairs to explore the many meanings of “warming up”: from physical activation to emotional ignition, from sensuality to resistance. Calentamiento, which premiered to sold-out audiences at the Centro Danza Matadero in Madrid in 2025, is co-directed with playwright Pablo Messiez and features musical direction by Niño de Elche. 

The UK premiere of Night of the Guitar: A concert with Gerardo Núñez, Antonio Rey, Álvaro Martinete and Olga Pericet then comes to Islington on Thursday 25 June, paying tribute to the late Agustín Castellón Campos (also known as Sabicas) who revolutionised flamenco guitar and brought it to the world stage. Born in Pamplona in 1912, Sabicas captivated audiences globally and became a symbol of flamenco's ability to evolve while honouring its roots. 

In this performance, three acclaimed guitarists will honour his legacy. Gerardo Núñez, a longtime admirer of Sabicas, is one of flamenco's most innovative guitarists who blends tradition with jazz. Antonio Rey, a two-time Latin Grammy winner, fuses flamenco with classical and jazz influences and Álvaro Martinete, recognised as one of the most exciting guitarists of his generation, fuses traditional flamenco with personal innovation, echoing Sabicas' influence. Dancer Olga Pericet, winner of Spain's National Dance Prize and a standout of last year's Flamenco Festival, will in this performance pay tribute to the legendary flamenco dancer Carmen Amaya, who was Sabicas' iconic collaborator.