Las Setas flamenco tickets

What the ticket buys

You are buying a seat at a flamenco show given by Tablao Flamenco Las Setas, which is also the provider of the ticket, so the booking is for the venue's own performance and not a tour or a meal. The show lasts one hour, and the venue says it runs without an interval. Start times differ from date to date and are shown in the calendar. The ticket is a mobile one, so nothing needs printing. The tablao stands on Plaza de la Encarnación, under the wooden structure that Sevillanos call Las Setas. The venue also sells tickets on its own website, and the option names there can differ, so everything in this guide about General, Premium and VIP refers to the GetYourGuide ticket linked on this page.

General: the show and a cocktail

The General ticket includes a cocktail, and the ticket page highlights a signature drink made with sherry wine. The venue's own pages say its cocktails are built on sherries such as Manzanilla, Amontillado, Palo Cortado and Pedro Ximénez. That makes the drink a small piece of the evening rather than an afterthought. The venue also says its bar serves before and after the performance and pauses during it, so the sensible plan is to collect the drink early and carry it to your seat. The venue's FAQ describes a cocktail bar and gourmet Iberian tapas, so a General guest who wants something to eat can order it there.

Read next: Sherry cocktails at the tablao

Premium and VIP: central seats and tapas

Central seats and tapas are what Premium and VIP bring on top of the show. The ticket page describes them as an upgrade of the seating, and it lists the cocktail under General only. The venue's own site describes cocktails with the higher tickets as well. Where the two differ, the booking calendar settles it: read what the option on your chosen date includes before you pay. VIP is the top option; the calendar is the place to see what it adds over Premium on your night. Central seats matter most in a room where the stage is close and, as the venue describes its format, the sound is not amplified, and the ticket page presents them as the reason to upgrade.

Seats and sightlines

Position matters in a small room. Travellers who booked praise the dancers, the music and the intimate setting, and some say that clearer seat allocation, and more seats facing the stage, would improve the side views. That is the practical case for the central seats on the upgraded tickets. On General, your confirmation shows where you are placed, and arriving when the doors open gives you time to settle in and see where the stage sits before the lights drop. Wheelchair access is listed for the show, and the venue would like to hear about any particular need at booking so that it can seat you sensibly.

How to choose between the three

Decide by what you want from the hour. General suits a first visit, a tight budget or a group that mainly wants the music. Premium suits couples, anniversaries and anyone who would rather sit in the middle with something to eat. VIP is for a celebration, or for those who simply want the best seat on offer. None of the three changes the show itself: the music, the dancers and the hour are the same, and what changes is your position in the room and what is put in front of you. Families can note that the venue's FAQ says children are welcome and suggests the show from about six, so that they can follow it; check the age rules for your ticket on the booking page.

Food and drink beyond the ticket

A flamenco ticket at this price is not a dinner, and it helps to say so plainly. Whatever your option does not list is a separate purchase. The venue publishes a menu of signature cocktails, wines and spirits, with Iberian tapas to order, and the bar is the place to buy them. If you want a proper meal, book a table in the old town for before or after the show, and keep the tablao for what it does: one hour of live music in a room built for it. The cocktail menu and the tapas list are on the venue's website, so you can see the range before you pick an option, and the venue asks you to tell the team about allergies or intolerances before ordering.

How this room differs from other flamenco venues

Seville offers flamenco in theatres, in restaurants and in old courtyard houses. This room is none of those. The venue calls itself a modern singing café, a contemporary space with artistic lighting, under a structure completed in April 2011. It says it prefers an intimate format without electronic amplification. If you want whitewashed walls and a courtyard, look elsewhere. If you want a clean modern room next to the old streets, with a bar and a stage close at hand, this is the one. That makes for a short, self-contained evening: one hour, a drink, a seat, and then you are back in the square with the rest of the night ahead of you.

Booking and changing plans

Cancelling at least 24 hours before the show brings a full refund, the ticket page says, and you may reserve without paying straight away, so booking early commits you to very little. The venue's own rules are stricter on the day: it says nobody is admitted once a show has started and that late arrivals are not refunded. If your plans are loose, book a date and keep the 24-hour window in mind. Cancellation terms here apply to tickets booked through GetYourGuide. A ticket bought directly from the venue follows the venue's own terms, which can differ, so keep the confirmation from the platform you used.

Picking a date and time

Open the calendar, choose a day and look at the start times it shows. Choose the one that suits the rest of your evening, leaving time to reach the square and collect a drink before the show begins. The venue runs several shows on a typical day, and your confirmation carries the exact time for yours, so nothing in this guide needs to be remembered. If a date shows no space, try the day either side before giving up on the evening. The venue's FAQ asks groups of eight or more to contact it directly, so a large party should do that before booking online.

Who this isn't for

Dinner is not on offer here, and neither are lessons. Nor does the ticket cover the viewpoint above, a separate purchase from the Setas visitor attraction. Anyone unable to sit through an hour, or likely to arrive after the start, should look elsewhere, since the venue admits nobody once the show is under way. If you want a historic courtyard house or a late-night club, this modern room and its single hour will disappoint. And if a dinner show is what you are after, book one elsewhere and treat this hour as a different kind of evening.