- Decide where flamenco sits in the agenda first: welcome, gala dinner set, congress opening or party.
- A trio (voice, guitar, dance) is the most versatile format; large auditoriums call for a quartet or quintet with cajón.
- Dance needs a hard floor of at least 3 × 3 metres; always confirm who provides sound.
- Insist on a written contract, a proper invoice and a named understudy for every artist.
Flamenco is the one element of a Spanish programme that delegates talk about on the flight home. Booking it well, though, means answering a few practical questions first. This guide summarises what we ask every planner before we prepare a proposal.
1. Choose the moment in the agenda
- Welcome or cocktail reception: solo guitar or a voice-and-guitar duo as ambience.
- Gala dinner: a 20–30 minute set with voice, guitar and dance between courses.
- Congress or convention opening: a short, intense original piece of four to eight minutes.
- Party: rumbas and flamenco versions of well-known songs, then a DJ.
2. Pick the line-up
| Line-up | Artists | Best for | Space |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo guitar | 1 | Receptions, ambience | A corner |
| Duo | Voice and guitar | Welcomes, smaller dinners | A corner |
| Trio | Voice, guitar and dance | Gala and Christmas dinners | Hard floor, 3 × 3 m |
| Quartet | Voice, guitar, two dancers | Galas, openings | Stage or open floor |
| Quintet | Quartet + cajón | Large auditoriums | Stage |
3. Check the space and the sound
Flamenco footwork needs a clear, hard floor of at least 3 × 3 metres — parquet, marble or staging work; carpet, grass or sand do not. Ask whether the venue provides PA and an engineer, or whether the supplier brings its own. Monitors and instrument microphones are what venues most often lack.
4. Make it work for an international audience
A brief introduction to each flamenco style in English — where it comes from, what to listen for — turns watching into understanding. It takes two or three sentences per piece and changes the room immediately.
5. Get the paperwork your client's procurement will ask for
- A written contract with date, timings, line-up and running time.
- A proper invoice with VAT itemised and correct fiscal details.
- Any supplier documentation your client's procurement team requires.
- A named understudy for every artist.
6. What to put in the brief
- Date, venue and approximate timings.
- Number and profile of delegates (nationalities, age range).
- The moment in the agenda and how long you want it to last.
- Whether the venue has stage, sound and a suitable floor.
- A budget range, so the proposal lands on the right line-up.
With that, a serious supplier can return a closed proposal within 24 hours. You can see our corporate formats on our flamenco for corporate events page.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should we book?
Corporate dates usually need less notice than weddings, but December and peak congress weeks in Madrid fill early. For an original opening piece, allow at least three to four weeks.
Can you perform at our hotel?
Yes. We bring our own PA and, where needed, a professional dance floor, so we can perform in hotel ballrooms, restaurants or any event venue.
Planning a programme in Madrid?
Send us a date and the number of delegates and we will return a closed proposal within 24 hours.
Runs Flamenco Origen, a flamenco artist agency based in Madrid, coordinating the artistic side of corporate events, congresses, hotels and weddings.