Here in the flamenco capital of the United States, Festival Flamenco Alburquerque ignites the city in a blaze of phenomenal music, dance and culture, featuring top flamenco artists from Spain and the Americas.
This year's festival showcases many premier dancers and musicians — including Spanish National Dance Prize and New York Bessie Performance Award winners — that they had to add an extra day. Encompassing four major venues, the University of New Mexico's Rodey and X Theatres, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, and Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque in the city's historic Old Town, this unparalleled 9-day event mesmerizes audiences with flamenco ranging from the traditional to avant-garde.
This year, expect boundary-breaking, genre-defying performances from iconic artists Israel Galván, Olga Pericet, Andrés Marín, Marco Flores and Daniel Doña. Rising star Patricia Guerrero makes her Festival debut, and Nazaret Reyes, Iván Vargas, Raquel Heredia "La Repompa" and Sergio Aranda present electrifying flamenco in its most traditional form.
In addition to these exhilarating performances, the Festival presents a series of innovative, contemporary performances in the X Theatre, including U.S. and world premieres by Tacha González, Florencia Oz, Elohim Flamenco and New Mexico's Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company.
Yjastros will perform the US premiere of Xicano Power, which debuted at the 27th Festival de Jerez where Yjastros made history as the first US-based flamenco company to be invited to perform in the prestigious event.
The Festival is presented by the National Institute of Flamenco in partnership with the University of New Mexico and the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
Festival Flamenco Alburquerque is the oldest, largest and most respected flamenco festival outside of Spain. Taking place from June 9 to 17, the Festival will include more than 60 workshops, 12 internationally-based performance companies, one New Mexican company, and 114 total performers. Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased at www.ffiabq.org or through venue box offices.
This unforgettable event will feature some of flamenco's most awarded artists: Israel Galván, who was honored with the 2012 New York Bessie Performance Award for an Outstanding Production, the Spanish National Dance Prize, and the Fine Arts Medal awarded by the Council of Ministers of the Spanish Government; Olga Pericet, winner of the 2018 Spanish National Dance Prize; and Andrés Marín, winner of the 2022 Spanish National Dance Prize and referred to as "the Picasso of Flamenco."
On June 15, a late night music experience will leave you breathless with an intimate concert at Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque, located at Hotel Albuquerque, by award-winning artists José Valencia y Salvador Gutiérrez for a Recital de Cante y Guitarra (flamenco song and guitar). For the most intrepid festival-goers, ticket packages have been discounted by more than 20% to maximize the Festival Flamenco Alburquerque experience.
For journalists, the festival will conduct daily press conferences facilitated by National Institute of Flamenco Executive Director Marisol Encinias who will hold discussions with guest artists.
Children and youth can join during the 24th Annual Flamenco Kids Camp and the 4th Annual Festival Juvenil. Flamenco Kids Camp is a fun, immersive day camp introducing children ages six to twelve to the full range of flamenco arts and culture.
Festival Juvenil is the youth component of Festival Flamenco Alburquerque and the premier national flamenco camp for experienced young flamenco dancers ages 10 to 15. Students take exclusive Festival Juvenil classes together as part of a cohort taught by Festival Flamenco Alburquerque guest artists.
"Festival Flamenco Alburquerque presents a unique and rare opportunity for New Mexico residents to experience the work of over 100 of the greatest flamenco artists in the world," Ungelbah Dávila, NIF Marketing Manager, said. "These are artists that have earned awards from the Spanish Ministry of Culture, and beyond. It's important to us that this type of opportunity is accessible to our community, and we offer a variety of ticket packages, including a package specifically for New Mexico residents, in addition to box office tickets."
Festival Flamenco Alburquerque has something for everyone, including the Flamenco in Your Neighborhood Series, featuring free classes and outdoor concerts produced in partnership with Bernalillo County. The Exposición Flamenca Juvenil features an afternoon of free performances by Flamenco Kids Campers, Festival Juvenil dancers, and local and national student performance groups.
That isn't all that the festival offers. There will also be a mini flamenco festival this June at the Guild, and daily round table discussions at Hotel Albuquerque with Marisol Encinias and top performers. Register here.
Festival Flamenco Albuquerque is produced in partnership with the University of New Mexico, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, and Bernalillo County, with support from, the City of Albuquerque, the National Endowment for the Arts, Heritage Hotels and Resorts, UNM Department of Theatre and Dance, TourSpain, the Albuquerque Hispano chamber of Commerce Convention and Tourism Department, Acción Cultural Española, the CABQ Urban Enhancement Trust Fund, French Funerals and Cremations, Nusenda, New Mexico Arts, Spain/USA Foundation, the McCune Charitable Foundation, Instituto Cervantes, Martz Accountancy Corporation, New Mexico Mutual, Kei & Molly Textiles, the UNM Latin American and Iberian Institute, Westaf, MidAtlantic Arts, and the New England Foundation for the Arts.
*Note on the festival name: Alburquerque is spelled the original way, with an extra "r."
About NIF
The National Institute of Flamenco (NIF) is a 501c3 non-profit that has developed into an internationally significant arts organization, unparalleled in its breadth and depth of programming. NIF was established in 1982 by Eva Encinias, a 2022 National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellow and lifelong flamenco artist. NIF is home to the Conservatory of Flamenco Arts, where flamenco study begins as early as age three, and Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company, the first US-based company to be invited to perform in the Festival de Jerez in Spain.
