Enjoy the Andalusian festival

The traditional Andalusian Festival was created in the early 90s by Maïana Coronado. Her passion for dance was inspired by the dancer Elvira Viñes. Viñes comes from a famous family: her grandfather was the President of Honduras, and her uncle was the great Spanish pianist Ricardo Viñes. Her uncle was close to the composer Maurice Ravel, who lived in Saint-Jean-de-Luz at the time. He often came to see him between the wars, and took his niece, Elvira Viñes, with him.

Elvira Viñes was a very gifted dancer and decided to set up a school of Spanish dance in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, passing on her passion to many generations. The flame has clearly not been extinguished, since one of her pupils, Maïana Coronado, had the idea in 1993 of creating a festival dedicated to Andalusian music. These festivities have grown in importance over the years, establishing themselves as a major event. The best talents from Cordoba and Granada are happy to come along, and the crowds turn out in droves every year.

The casetas are private stands run by various associations and local cafés, offering drinks as well as typical Andalusian dishes. Usually set up at Flots bleus, one of the city's beaches, in the heart of the "Andalusian village", you can enjoy them all weekend long, right up until the end of the night (2am or even later). Flamenco shows and Andalusian music are organised right across the street, so you can enjoy the dancing while you enjoy a good meal or a cool drink.

Attend a dance

As you'll have gathered, dance is the name of the game at this year's festival. All over the city, you'll see traditional and contemporary flamenco performances, both in the streets (Place Louis XIV, Rue Gambetta and Boulevard Thiers) and in real venues. The jaï alaï, a playground usually reserved for Cesta punta matches (a typically Basque sport), has been hosting top-quality shows ever since the town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz entered into a partnership with the national stage. If you're interested in dance, you can also take part in one of the many free Sevillian dance classes on offer in the town.

Sunday mass and parade

Even if you're not a religious person, Sunday mass in the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste is well worth the effort: it is accompanied by traditional song and dance (Andalusian choirs and guitarists). It ends in style with a traditional parade of horses, horse-drawn carriages and dancers, which wends its way through rue Gambetta and boulevard Thiers, all the way to Flots bleus. Made up of around twenty Spanish horses, and accompanied by traditional singing, this procession is a huge success. We therefore advise you to come early, so as not to get stuck behind a compact crowd.

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