Getting to the Las Setas tablao

The address and the landmark

The tablao's address is Plaza de la Encarnación 38, 41003 Seville. It is on the ground floor of the Metropol Parasol, a large, mostly wooden structure in the old quarter that locals call Las Setas, the mushrooms. Wikipedia describes six parasols, roughly 150 by 70 metres across, completed in April 2011. You cannot miss it: the lattice roof is the biggest thing in the square, so any map app, or a taxi driver, will take you there from the words Las Setas. Wikipedia places the structure at La Encarnación square, and the venue gives the same plaza and the number 38, which is the detail to give a taxi driver or type into a map.

The door at street level

This is the detail that trips people up. The venue stresses that you should not climb the stairs to the monument. The tablao's entrance is at the level of the square, next to the Mercado de la Encarnación, and an illuminated sign reading Tablao Flamenco Las Setas stands by the door. The stairs lead to the roof plaza and the panoramic terraces, which belong to the visitor attraction above. Stay at ground level, look for the sign and wait there, not on the steps. The venue also says the entrance has no steps, and your phone ticket is shown there.

On foot from the old centre

The venue describes the surrounding streets as a pedestrian area of the historic centre and puts the tablao within a short walk of Seville Cathedral. Walking or public transport is what the Setas visitor attraction recommends as the easiest way to arrive. Leave a few spare minutes to find your way through the old streets, and to stop and look up at the structure. The photograph shows the glazed ground floor and the stairs: the stairs are the ones to avoid. The venue's own pages use Seville Cathedral, Plaza del Duque and Plaza de España as reference points, so any of them makes a useful landmark if you lose your bearings.

By tram, bus or taxi

The Setas visitor attraction names the MetroCentro tram stop at Plaza Nueva as a good point of arrival, followed by a stroll through the historic centre, and says city buses stop near the monument. Routes change, so consult the operator's own route planner on the day. Taxi and ride-hailing drivers will know it as Las Setas, Plaza de la Encarnación, the wording the venue itself suggests. Whichever you choose, aim to be standing at the door when it opens. Parking is possible nearby, the venue says, naming two public car parks within a short walk, but the old centre is easiest on foot or by tram.

Arriving: doors, bar and the late rule

The venue says doors open fifteen minutes before every performance, and that the bar serves before and after the show but pauses during it. The sixty minutes then run without a break. Its FAQ is blunt about lateness: nobody is let in once the show has started, and a late arrival is not refunded. If you know you will miss your slot, the venue asks you to write before the show, and says it may try to move you to another one, without any guarantee. Since the show has no interval, use the time before it starts for a drink or the toilet. Count the time on your confirmation as the moment to be in your seat; reaching the square then is already too late.

Step-free access

Wheelchair access is listed for this show. The venue adds that the room is on the ground floor with no stairs, has an access ramp and an adapted toilet, and asks guests to tell it what they need when they book, so that it can choose the best place for them. If you use a wheelchair, send that message at the time you reserve and not on the night, and use the street-level door rather than the stairs. The venue lists WhatsApp and a telephone number for reservations, so a companion's request can also be sent that way. Use the same street-level door as everyone else: the venue says there are no access steps.

What to wear and bring

The venue says there is no compulsory dress code and that being comfortable is the main thing. Photographs and video are allowed, without flash. The ticket is a mobile one, and the venue says the QR code on your screen is all the door needs; printing is unnecessary. Bring a charged phone for the code, and keep the camera for the room and the square, since the music asks for your attention. Children are welcome, the venue says, and it suggests the show from about six so that they can enjoy it.

What the hour is like

Sixty minutes of live guitar, song and dance, without an interval. The ticket page names styles running from seguiriya to bulerías, and the venue describes a show that opens with festive palos such as alegrías and tangos, moves to deeper cante in the middle with soleá and seguiriyas, and closes with bulerías. Read that as the shape of a typical hour, not as a promise for your date, since the artists decide what to play. The guide to flamenco styles explains each name. UNESCO says the guitar has long surpassed its role as accompaniment, and the venue says there is no electronic amplification, so listen for the heels. Applause and clapping along with the rhythm are part of the form, so you do not need to sit in silence.

Read next: Flamenco styles you may hear

Before and after the show

According to Wikipedia, the structure also houses a traditional market, restaurants, a square for performances, an archaeological museum and rooftop terraces, and the old streets of the centre begin at its edges. That makes the square a convenient place to eat before the doors open or to walk afterwards. Because the bar shuts during the performance, finish what you want from it before the lights go down, and leave the evening's other plans until the show is over. The Setas visitor attraction also runs its own film and light show inside the structure, sold apart from the flamenco ticket.

Who this isn't for

This ticket pays for the show and nothing more. The rooftop viewpoint is a separate purchase from the Setas visitor attraction, and dinner is not included either. It will not suit anyone who cannot be at the door on time, since late guests are turned away. It is also a seated hour in a modern room: if you want to wander, stand or eat through the performance, a different kind of evening will fit you better. A party of eight or more should contact the venue directly instead of booking online, as its FAQ asks.