Barcelona · El Born
A singer, a guitarist and two dancers perform in a baroque palace with a staircase carved with myths.
Likely to sell out. Every ticket also opens the palace's art gallery.
The evening in four facts
The palace
Carrer de Montcada was laid out in the 12th century, when the Count-Kings of Catalonia granted the land to the Barons of Montcada. Merchants who had made their fortunes at sea built mansions around courtyards, each with a stair to the first floor. Five of those medieval palaces now hold the Museu Picasso.
Palau Dalmases is the baroque exception. The house was left in ruins by the bombardment of 1697, and on 6 January 1698 Pau de Dalmases i Castells bought it and had it rebuilt almost from scratch. His son Pau Ignasi, a scholar, led a literary and musical academy that met here around 1700.
The stone staircase climbs from the courtyard under two ramping arches on twisted columns. Its balustrade is carved with the Abduction of Europa and the Triumph of Neptune, two scenes from classical myth.
Your ticket covers a 50 to 55 minute show by a singer, a guitarist and two dancers, and access to the art gallery. VIP and Zone A each include a drink.
What to listen for
Flamenco is song, guitar and dance working together. UNESCO's description of the art form gives a simple way to follow a performance: listen for its five parts.
The song comes first. It is sung seated, usually without backing singers, in short, plain verses that run from grief and fear to joy.
The guitar does more than accompany. It sets the key and the tempo, and between verses it plays falsetas, short melodic phrases of its own.
The dance moves between sadness and joy. Many dances follow a set shape: the dancer enters, walks the stage, falls silent, then builds to the footwork.
Beneath everything runs the compás, the rhythmic cycle. Many palos count twelve beats with the accents in different places, so two songs can feel entirely different.
Handclaps and shouted encouragement push the performers on. Listen for the cries of olé, which singers and dancers call to each other.
The programme changes with the performers. These five parts are the ones to listen for in any flamenco show.
Your seat and ticket
A seat, a drink in two of the zones, the gallery and a short, focused show.
VIP, Zone A and a third zone sit at different distances from the stage. Pick the one that suits your view on the booking page.
One drink comes with a ticket in those two zones. The third zone does not include one, and guests mention a bar for buying more.
Every ticket opens the palace's art gallery, ready for a stroll after the show.
A singer, a guitarist and two dancers in colourful costumes perform, so you can watch each of them closely.
A short show that leaves the rest of the evening free, before or after dinner.
The show is marked wheelchair accessible, and the nearest metro station, Jaume I, has had step-free access since December 2018.
The palace in pictures
Photographs by other people, showing the palace and its neighbourhood, not the performance.
Which flamenco show
| Show | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Palau Dalmases | One singer, one guitarist and two dancers for 50 to 55 minutes in a baroque palace. Three seating zones, a drink in VIP and Zone A, and the art gallery open to every ticket holder. Free cancellation until 24 hours before; payment can wait. | Visitors who want a small cast and a historic building. |
| Las Brujas | A close-up show of 50 minutes inside a 17th-century cellar in the Gothic Quarter, modelled on an Andalusian flamenco cave, plus an exhibition by local artists and photographers. Free cancellation until 24 hours before; payment can wait. | Travellers who want the smallest room and a cave-like setting. |
| Gran Gala | A 75 minute theatre show with castanets, fans and costumes, at the Palau de la Música Catalana or Teatre Poliorama, depending on the option. The best seat is assigned when you book, and the ticket is non-refundable. | Anyone who wants a full stage and a bigger company. |
Check dates, seating zones and the included drink on the same GetYourGuide listing ↗
Three flamenco nights
A baroque palace, a 17th-century cellar and a theatre stage: three ways to see live flamenco in Barcelona.
One singer, one guitarist and two dancers for 50 to 55 minutes in a baroque palace. Three seating zones, a drink in VIP and Zone A, and the art gallery open to every ticket holder. Free cancellation until 24 hours before; payment can wait.
See open dates ↗A close-up show of 50 minutes inside a 17th-century cellar in the Gothic Quarter, modelled on an Andalusian flamenco cave, plus an exhibition by local artists and photographers. Free cancellation until 24 hours before; payment can wait.
See open dates ↗A 75 minute theatre show with castanets, fans and costumes, at the Palau de la Música Catalana or Teatre Poliorama, depending on the option. The best seat is assigned when you book, and the ticket is non-refundable.
See open dates ↗Other things to do in Barcelona
Planning the evening
The meeting point is Carrer de Montcada 20, postcode 08003. The nearest metro station is Jaume I on line L4, and the street is a short walk into La Ribera.
VIP and Zone A include a drink and the third zone does not. Some guests say the seating is flat, so a closer zone suits anyone who wants to see the footwork.
Pick your date, then read the start time on the booking calendar and in your confirmation.
Access to the art gallery comes with every ticket, so allow a few minutes beyond the 50 to 55 minute show.
The show is marked wheelchair accessible. If you have particular needs, message the provider through the booking page before you travel.
You can cancel at no cost until 24 hours before the show, and payment can wait until later.
Notes from La Ribera
Which seating zone to book for the Palau Dalmases flamenco show, what each includes, and how it compares with two other Barcelona flamenco shows.
Read the guide → Getting there and what to expectHow to reach Carrer de Montcada 20 by metro, what the 50 to 55 minute flamenco show is like, and what to see on the street before or after.
Read the guide → The palaceHow a house on Carrer de Montcada became a baroque palace, an academy, a cultural society's headquarters and today a place for flamenco.
Read the guide → The art formA first listening guide: cante, toque, baile, compás and jaleo, what each does in a flamenco show and how to follow them from your seat.
Read the guide → The neighbourhoodA short guide to the street of merchants' palaces, the Gothic church and the old quarter around Palau Dalmases, for the hours before or after the show.
Read the guide → Choosing a showA palace, a cellar and a theatre: how the Palau Dalmases, Las Brujas and Gran Gala flamenco shows differ, and which setting suits which traveller.
Read the guide →FAQ
A seat for the 50 to 55 minute show with a singer, a guitarist and two dancers, plus access to the palace's art gallery. VIP and Zone A also include one drink.
At Carrer de Montcada 20, 08003 Barcelona, in the La Ribera district. The nearest metro station is Jaume I on line L4.
Pick by distance from the stage. VIP and Zone A include a drink, and the third zone does not. Some guests say the seating is flat, so a closer zone suits anyone who wants to see the footwork.
Yes. Up to 24 hours before the show you can cancel for a full refund, and you can also hold the seats now and pay afterwards.
About 50 to 55 minutes. The start time for your date appears on the booking calendar and in your confirmation.
The booking page marks the show as wheelchair accessible. Contact the provider through the booking page if you need details of the route.
No. The show is song, guitar and dance, and the emotion carries without a translation.
Yes: a close-up show in a 17th-century cellar in the Gothic Quarter, and a theatre show at the Palau de la Música Catalana or Teatre Poliorama. The table above compares all three.
Prices vary by date and seating zone. The booking page shows the full amount in your currency before you confirm.