Now, more than ever, the Milan Flamenco Festival looks to the future, guided by Segni del tempo / Memorie - Visioni - Contrasti, a reflection on time, on the changes it brings with its passing, and on the future. It is a period that has led to significant changes, often definitive, such as the recent closure of “Villa Rosa", the oldest flamenco tablao in Madrid.

This provided the inspiration for the first appointment in the fourteenth edition, Villa Rosa & Friends / Gala flamenca, performed for the first time ever at the Teatro Strehler.

Villa Rosa, the legendary tablao, which closed definitively after one hundred years of activity, comes back to life in this gala performed in the name of all of Spain’s tablaos, temples of flamenco that risk extinction. An extensive cast of famous artists have answered the appeal launched by the Milan Flamenco Festival, staging this exclusive performance directed by Manuel Liñán and featuring the many artists who are fighting body and soul for this cultural landmark, calling for it to reopen, and for the continuity and survival of flamenco and its artists.

At the end of the show, the artists will discuss the cultural, social and economic role of the tablao with the audience, focusing attention on this cultural symbol, an essential setting for present and future artists and a place that provides a living for many.

The Instituto Cervantes International Flamenco Congress for the Milano Flamenco Festival: the FUTURE
The important projects set up by the Instituto Cervantes to celebrate its 30th anniversary include the organisation of an International Flamenco Congress within its network of centres and set out by territory, with performances and concerts as well as a programme of conferences, round tables, workshops, screenings and exhibitions that offer a space for reflection and cross-disciplinary discussions on the subject of flamenco and through the themes examined by this unprecedented initiative: WORDS, BODY, FUTURE, DIVERSITY and FEELINGS.
Aimed at contributing to the development and to opportunities within our cultural sector, lending support to our creative figures and setting up networks that foster professional development and work opportunities in the post-pandemic period, the Instituto Cervantes will collaborate with the most important events concerning flamenco such as the Milano Flamenco Festival, examining a series of matters that dominate the current flamenco scene, as well as promoting exchange between Spanish culture and the international network.
As part of the 14th edition of the Milano Flamenco Festival, the Instituto Cervantes will be presenting three opportunities for discussion and reflection at the end of the performances, based on the FUTURE of flamenco, on the spaces available for performance and research, and on the union between flamenco and other disciplines such as literature.