The Seville Biennial achieves the highest collection in its history

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La biennial of Flamenco of Sevilla has reached in its XXIII edition the best box office in its history, according to a press release issued by the organization. Throughout its 25 days of duration, a total of 39.900 people have attended the 64 scheduled shows, which has meant an average occupancy of more than 90 percent and a collection amounting to 1 euros, a figure that exceeds that achieved in previous years. Of those 64 shows, 39 were held with sold-out seats in each of the performing arts venues that hosted the programme: Teatro de la Maestranza, Real Alcázar, Auditorio Cartuja, Monasterio de la Cartuja, Teatro Central, Espacio Turina, Teatro Alameda, Muelle Camaronero, Iglesia de San Luis de los Franceses and CaixaForum.

But, in addition, since September 3, the Biennial has flooded the streets of the city with a program of parallel activities that has complemented the main shows. Under the title Other Oles, these activities have brought the flamenco to all corners of Seville, from its historic neighborhoods to the outskirts, offering a wide variety of cultural experiences including cinema, literature, live music, open-air performances and shows held in the tablaos flamencos. These activities have had a wide participation of the public, which in this new edition has exceeded 100.000 attendees.

The mayor of Seville, Jose Luis Sanz, He described the edition as a “resounding success” and added that “the figures that this balance shows are spectacular.” “We have celebrated the best Biennial in history and we have once again placed Seville and the flamenco in the place they deserve," he said, highlighting that "with all this, I can only say that the motto chosen to accompany the celebration of the XXIII Biennial of Flamenco, Ole again, could not have been more accurate.”

A Biennial of views and encounters

The Biennial has once again filled theatres with applause and placed Seville at the epicentre of flamenco creation and production in the world. And it has done so with a programme that has combined tradition and innovation, new forms of creation in art. jondo, highlighting the 30 quotes that have been called Unique nights, made exclusively for La Bienal. However, although these shows were not born with the intention of touring, many of them have aroused the interest of programmers and will soon be seen in different parts of the world.

In addition, the Biennial has presented 17 absolute premieres that can be taken to other stages and at other times. Thus, the public has been able to enjoy 47 new productions which have seen the light for the first time in this 23rd edition in the ten stage spaces that have hosted the shows.

In this regard, to the already traditional Maestranza Theatre, Central Theatre, Alameda Theatre and Turina Space, and the patrimonial ones Royal Alcazar, Church of Saint Louis of the French y La Cartuja Monastery, have joined the Cartuja Auditorium (where great deep voices and the proposal of Sergio de Lope and Chico Pérez passed through), CaixaForum (which hosted several sessions of the Manual de flamenco for families, taught by the dancer Leonor Leal and the percussionist Antonio Moreno) and the Shrimp Pier, in the middle of Betis street, where the public had the opportunity to travel to the territories jondofrom Extremadura, Seville and Triana, and Jerez, led by some of the flamenco figures they saw born.

In its 23rd edition, the Biennial has established itself as an event in which times converge to offer moments that are already part of the collective memory. The event has had multiple perspectives, from the most traditional to the most avant-garde, debuting artists, other established ones, more genuine creators, of diverse ages and origins, and many unique encounters between artists and the reunion of these with the public in each of the spaces.

«The Biennial has once again filled theatres with applause and placed Seville at the epicentre of flamenco creation and production in the world. And it has done so with a programme that has combined tradition and innovation, new forms of creation in art jondo»

The Biennial conquers the city

Zoom in flamenco to all corners of Seville, from its historic neighborhoods to the outskirts, offering a wide variety of cultural experiences that include cinema, literature, live music and open-air shows, has been another of the objectives of this XXIII edition. To this end, on September 3, a program of parallel activities began that complemented the main shows under the title Other Oles, in which they have participated more than 100.000 people who have been able to further enrich their experience and immerse themselves in the soul of this art.

In this context, the Biennial has offered a visual tour of the flamenco through the cycle Movie Tuesday, held at the Three Cultures of the Mediterranean Foundation, which was inaugurated with the world premiere of the documentary Antonio Mairena, the root of cante, directed by Paco Millán, a deep look at the life and legacy of one of the most emblematic figures of cante jondo. The screenings continued every Tuesday with titles such as The Singla, Palobut Zapata; Fernanda and Bernarda from Utrera, by Rocio Martin; Carmen and Maria. Two paths and one look, produced by the Princess of Asturias Foundation; and Crystal Paradise, by Susanne Zellinger and Natalia Halla.

The word flamenco has also taken center stage thanks to the Literature Cycle, where writers, poets and experts have gathered to discuss the relationship between flamenco and literature. The cycle was inaugurated with a talk about the great folklorist Demófilo, father of the poets Antonio and Manuel Machado, by José Luis Rodríguz Ojeda, Cristina Cruces, Edu Hidalgo and Eduardo Rebollar, and also included the presentation of the book New Flamenco Poetry by Antonio Campos and Jean-François Carcelén, as well as a session dedicated to children's books Fosforito, a musical genius de Alvaro de la Fuente.

Also, within the framework of the cycle, the new edition of the fanzine was presented I see you very much Flamenco, directed by Rafael Iglesias. And, in parallel, it was possible to visit the drawings exhibition Anvil, Stroke and Hook, I see you very much Flamenco, a collection of illustrations of great figures of the flamenco made by the artists Patricio Hidalgo and Gonzalo Llanes, curated by Iglesias himself.

In addition, in these weeks the flamenco has continued to live in a vibrant and close way with the cycle Flamenco at street level, with free outdoor performances that have taken place in different parts of the city (Sevilla Este, Alameda de Hércules, Jardines de Murillo and Los Bermejales), bringing art closer flamenco to both residents and visitors.

Alongside these main events, the Biennial has offered a rich variety of complementary activities that have taken place in various spaces around the city, from universities to tablaos. flamencos, and which have been led by different entities under the umbrella of More Oles. Among them, the following have stood out: Meetings The University of Flamenco, in tribute to the guitarist Niño Ricardo on the 120th anniversary of his birth, or different sound routes, such as the one focused on the Seville of the singing cafés, which has offered an auditory journey through the historic singing cafés of Seville, others focused on the history and geography of flamenco in the city or the itinerary The Seville of the Machado family… and of many more, all of them organized by Engranajes Culturales.

For its part, the University of Seville has held the seminar Applied literature and knowledge transfer: poetic creativity in stage-musical productions of the flamenco, while the Menéndez y Pelayo International University (UIMP) organized a lecture recital at Casa Fabiola with the cantes of mines as protagonists.

Also Cultural Factory has joined with activities within the framework of La Bienal with reflection sessions around the flamenco, an exhibition, dialogued encounters and open rehearsals. And another of the municipal spaces, Fabiola House, has offered the opportunity to learn more about the so-called singing cafés through an exhibition that remains open until October 22.

Finally, also the tablaos and schools of flamenco from Seville have been part of this annex program of the XXIII Biennial offering activities to citizens and visitors who would like to experience the city in a different way. flamenco.

A universal flashmob to open the date

But the Biennial is not only held in Seville. It is an event of worldwide significance, a fact that has been confirmed once again by the long-awaited flashmob that serves as a prelude to the inauguration. On this occasion, Patricia guerrero, at the head of the Ballet Flamenco from Andalusia, performed the flashmob choreography on September 11 in the Plaza de América in the María Luisa Park, together with students from several dance academies in Seville who wanted to join in this pre-opening event.

The choreography, specially created for the occasion, was accompanied by the original composition Honey River, by Paco de Lucía. This initiative was replicated online at 17 cities in 13 countries around the world, including Almaty (Kazakhstan), Minsk (Belarus), Sevastopol (Crimea), Moscow and St. Petersburg (Russia), Beijing (China), Seoul (South Korea), Budapest (Hungary), The Hague (Netherlands), New York and Chicago (USA), Almeria (Spain), Ayvalik (Turkey), Katowice (Poland) and Hong Kong.

The Olematón, the street action of the XXIII Biennial

About 300 people They have passed through the Olematón to dedicate their “oles” and jaleos to La Bienal, which were recorded to welcome the public in various settings by means of an installation with motion sensors. The Olematón was installed in different parts of the city, such as the Plaza de Calderón de la Barca in the Centro district, the Avenida de la Cruz Roja in the Macarena neighbourhood, the Mercado de las Palmeritas in Nervión, the Puerta de Jerez and the Plaza del Altozano, in the heart of Triana.

Not only Sevillians have joined this street action, but also citizens of United States, Poland, Brazil or EnglandSome of the artists participating in the 2024 edition of La Bienal also came to this celebration, including Pedro El Granaíno, Ana Morales, Mercedes de Córdoba, David de Arahal, María Moreno, Juan de Juan, Paula Comitre, Manuel Liñán, Gautama del Campo, Pepe Bao, Tino di Geraldo, Argentina, Rafael de Utrera and Rosario La Tremendita.

«The surveys conducted by the on-site public put the average capacity at 90 percent. 9.286 people attended this edition, specifically an average of three shows. Of this number, 54,3 percent were residents of Seville, 13,4 percent were day-trippers and 32,3 percent were tourists»

The profile of the tourist who has visited Seville

Also this year, a workshop was held Study of the impact of tourism on the city during the celebration of La Bienal. An analysis that had not been carried out since 2016 and which aimed to identify the profile of the tourist who attended the event, analyse their behaviour and find out their assessment and the degree of repetition of the destination Seville and the event.

To this end, a total of 606 face-to-face surveys between the dates of the Biennale (from September 11 to October 5). Interviews that place the average capacity coverage at 90 percent occupancy. Thus, they have been 9.286 people attended this edition, specifically to an average of three showsOf this figure, 54,3 percent were residents of Seville, 13,4 percent were day-trippers and 32,3 percent were tourists. Of the latter, 90 percent chose Seville to spend the night in Andalusia.

With an average stay of six nights in the city and an average expenditure of 126 euros by tourists, and 57 euros by excursionists, the average expenditure of a tourist motivated by the Biennial of Flamenco It is 48 euros more than the average expenditure of a tourist in Andalusia, according to data from the Institute of Statistics and Cartography of Andalusia (IECA, 2023).

Regarding its origin, 60 percent of tourists attending the Biennial are national, among which the Andalusians themselves (30%) and Madrid residents (11%) stand out. And, as for foreign demand (40%), France (11,7%) and Germany (7,6%) stand out as the main countries of origin; while the female public is above the male one: 55% compared to 45%.

Finally, with regard to the assessment of different variables of the tourist destination Seville (accommodation, catering, public safety, public transport, tourist signage, etc.), the average score given by tourists is 8,32 out of 10. They have also scored different aspects of the Biennial from 1 to 10, with 1 being “very unsatisfactory” and 10 being “very satisfactory”. In this case, the Biennial obtains a average grade of 8,31.

In this sense, the celebration of this event gains importance not only for what it generates directly, but also for what it can influence in terms of future trips. Thus, 63,5% of those surveyed declare their intention to return to Seville and 46,5% have already been to the previous edition. In addition, 93% would recommend to acquaintances and friends to attend La Bienal.

The Biennial in the media

Along with social networks, the media play a fundamental role in the dissemination of the Biennial's programming. The interest it arouses in them transcends the specialized media. flamenco, also occupying a prominent place in the general media. Thus, during the time in which the programme has been held and in the days before and after, the Biennial has generated almost 4.000 media hits through different media (print press, digital media, radio and television). These appearances have reached a Total audience of 911.540.519 people and, translated into an assessment of communication, have generated a global economic impact of €48.697.520, the highest recorded in the event's history to date, according to data from an external audit.

These figures show the attractiveness and importance of this event at a media level. An interest that attracts journalists and national and international media to Seville to provide on-site coverage of the programme. In this sense, media such as El País, El Mundo, Abc, have reported on what was happening. elDiario.es, El Periódico de España, ELLE, Agencia EFE, Europa Press, Radio Nacional de España, Cadena Ser, COPE, Onda Cero, RTVA (Canal Sur Radio y Televisión), RTVE Andalucía, Diario de Sevilla, Abc Sevilla, El Correo de Andalucía and the national news programmes of TVE (Canal 24 Horas), Telecinco and Cuatro. Also media and programmes with national coverage specialising in culture have published or broadcast pieces with La Bienal as the protagonist, among them El Cultural, SusyQ, 'La hora extra' (Ser), 'El ojo crítica' (RNE), the programmes 'Culturas2' and 'Asistencia Obras' on La2 and the television channel Mezzo.

Likewise, the Biennial has had daily coverage from specialized media in flamenco , the ExpoFlamencoDeflamenco, Walk Flamenco, Flame Guide, La Flamenca, Souk Flamenco, FlamencoFan, Flamencomania, Flamenco Divine or Flamencoweb, among others. And programs specialized in this art have dedicated different pieces to this edition in the form of interviews or reports, as is the case of 'A compás' (RNE), 'Nuestro flamenco' (RNE), 'Gypsies' (RNE), 'Duendeando' (RNE), 'Time flamenco' (RNE) or 'Portal Flamenco' (Canal Sur Radio).

«Almost 4.000 media impacts have reached a total audience of 911.540.519 people, with a global economic impact of €48.697.520, the highest recorded in the event's history so far, according to data from an external audit»

The Biennial on social media

Social media has been a vivid reflection of what has happened in the 2024 edition of La Bienal, serving as a forum where diverse audiences (fans, artists and the media) have maintained the conversation around the brand.

This has been possible thanks to its four active social networks (Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube), which have been key to gathering information about shows and activities, as well as to closely following its highlights.

Taking the celebration dates as a reference, they have been carried out 2.054 publications, which have generated more than 3 million impressions, which shows the reach and interest they have aroused. The 16,39 percent increase in the number of followers on social networks reflects these results, reaching a total of 68.293, especially highlighting the 2.261 followers gained organically on Instagram, 14,19 percent, in a short period of time.