Tablao Flamenco 1911 — Attraction in Madrid

It was a very sad experience! I got the very bad idea of taking my family to this show, since I was there in 2018 with my wife and we were absolutely delighted because the fantastic show. This place at that time was called Villa Rosa, now it is called 1911. For many years I have been a fanatic of flamenco music: Camarón de la isla, Paco De Lucia, Tomatito, Jorge Pardo, etc… are idols to me. That show in 2018 was such an astonishing experience. That is why I continued attending to flamenco shows like this in several places in Madrid. The night before attending this time show at 1911 Flamenco, I took my wife and two daughters (22 and 25 years old) to Torres Bermejas’s flamenco show and from the beginning to the end I struggled not to cry because how amazingly touching the show was. FULL OF PASSION!…. That is why I decided to take my family to another flamenco show again. What a bad idea…. I decided to attend the 1911’s show and it was a extremely disappointing. The music was not bad but the entire show was just a disaster: It was absolutely obvious that the musicians didn’t care about the audience. No contact with us at all… the show supposed to last one hour but they started at least 7 minutes later and ended it about 7 minutes earlier. The breaks between every tune took at least other 7 minutes and they only performed four pieces. They were even joking to each other like being in a rehearsal. I felt very disrespected and taken as a fool. It is also absolutely obvious they considere performing to ignorant tourists. That shows their lack of respect to flamenco music and its legacy.

At the end, I expressed my feelings to one of the singers and he told me that the reason for such a mediocre show was because it was a Sunday. What kind of answer is that? They supposed to be professional musicians. What about the the more than $200 (four tickets) I paid for less than 40 minutes. The service was terrible and at the end of the show, they just opened the emergency door to let us go out as cows after...

Things I wish I knew before going:

The people advertising the show will tell you that 10 artists are involved. Only 3 of them are dancers, the rest are guitar players etc. So don't go in expecting to see a wide range of Flamenco dancers.

The show is advertised as being an hour long. It's not. It's more like 55' of which only 30' are Flamenco dancing. More specifically there are only 3 dances.

The rest is some long intermissions between each dance (about 4' each) and a singing act that takes about 10-15' with no dance involved.

The first two dancing acts get repetitive after a while. The third one is the highlight and the most of impressive of the bunch.

After the singing part is over the three dancers get on stage together. If you expected them to dance together in a final grand act or something similar, jokes on you; each dancers will make a 20 second dance move and quickly get off stage to end the show.

The prices of the tickets range from moderately expensive to very expensive for barely 30 minutes of dancing. Also, the food is way too overpriced and the options are very limited.

The place is really beautiful but you barely get the chance to enjoy it in 55'.

Also, you can hear the noise from the outside.

There is a good chance that the show might get cancelled and that you will not get any notification, messing your plans for the night (happened once but decided to give them a second chance).

Credit where credit is due, you can ask for a refund (but still, it would be good to know beforehand so that you don't cancel other plans for the night, especially if you are visiting only for...

Unbelievable. Spectacular. Phenomenal. I'm genuinely blown away. You do not understand Spanish culture until you come to a Flamenco show - and now that I have, I have fallen even further in love with the country.

Paula, Laura, and Jose danced like their lives depended on it. Paula Rodríguez was like fire, moving swiftly and surely, demanding the attention of every member if the audience. Laura Fúnez was like the ocean - fierce and sure in her every step, and reminding each of us what it means to move with power. Jose Maya was as swift and confident as the wind itself - never missing a beat and showing off every moment of his hard-earned skill with each step. This is to say nothing of Laura Abadía, rhe vocalist who closes out the show with a voice that reaches  out to any and all who have the ability to hear, and touches their very soul.

And I haven't even touched on the musicians, the likes of which I have never seen before. The percussion, the vocals, the guitar, the winds, all made for one of the most unforgettable performances I have ever seen. This show moved me to tears, the staff were incredibly kind and helpful, the vibe was unmatched, and the experience was heart-stopping. I write this review the morning after my experience, and I'm still positively shaken by the show that was put on, the tapas served, the production quality, and the skill of every person in this building.

This show, its performers, its staff, are a source of Spanish pride. Your trip to Madrid is not complete if you do not attaned Tablao Flamenco 1911. Thank you all for such an absolutely...