Palau Dalmases tickets and zones

Which zone to book

The ticket comes in three seating zones, each at a different distance from the stage. VIP and Zone A include one drink, and the third zone does not. Because the show is short and the venue intimate, the choice is mostly about sightlines and the drink rather than about getting in. Some guests say the seating is flat, which makes the dancers' feet harder to see from further back. If footwork is what you came for, choose the closest zone you are comfortable with. If you only want the atmosphere and a seat, the third zone gets you through the door at the lowest level of commitment.

• VIP: the premium zone, with a drink included
• Zone A: a drink included
• The third zone: a seat only, with no drink

What every ticket includes

Every ticket covers a seat at the flamenco show and access to the Palau Dalmases art gallery. The show is about 50 to 55 minutes of live singing, guitar and dance, and the gallery is there for a stroll after it. Drinks are the one thing that changes by zone: VIP and Zone A include one, and the third zone does not. Guests mention a bar where you can buy more. The booking page lists exactly what your zone includes before you pay, so check it against your plans for the evening, particularly if you are travelling with someone who will want a drink. Ask yourself whether you want the drink more than the closer view, because those two things come together in VIP and Zone A.

Who performs and what you are watching

The cast is small: one singer, one guitarist and two dancers. That is the classic flamenco line-up in miniature, with song, guitar and dance each carried by a different person. UNESCO, which listed flamenco as intangible cultural heritage in 2010, describes it as an art that fuses song, dance and musicianship. The dancers perform in colourful costumes, and the performance moves through emotions rather than a plot, from sorrow to joy. With so few performers you can follow each of them: the singer's phrasing, the guitarist's hands and the dancers' footwork all stay in view.

Read next: How to follow a flamenco show

How long it takes and when to book

A 50 to 55 minute show fits before dinner or as a short night out. Your confirmation and the booking calendar give the starting time for your date, and you choose from the slots offered. The show is marked as likely to sell out, so book once your day is fixed, especially if you want VIP or Zone A. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before, which makes booking early a low-risk choice. If your trip dates are still moving, reserve now and pay later keeps the seats without a payment today. A flexible traveller who can pick the day has more choice of zone, so look at two or three dates before you commit.

Cancelling and paying later

You can cancel for a full refund until 24 hours before the show. You can also hold seats now and pay afterwards, so there is nothing to pay today while your plans settle. That combination suits a trip with moving parts: a flight that may change, a group still agreeing on a night, or a dinner reservation you have not made yet. Once the 24 hours are up, treat the booking as fixed. The cut-off is shown on the booking page for your date, so read it when you choose the day.

The palace you are sitting in

Palau Dalmases stands at Carrer de Montcada 20, in the old merchant quarter of La Ribera. The house was left in ruins by the bombardment of 1697. On 6 January 1698 Pau de Dalmases i Castells bought it and had it rebuilt almost from scratch, and that is the baroque building you see today. His son Pau Ignasi, a scholar, is thought to have influenced its carved decoration, and he led a literary and musical academy in the house around 1700. Barcelona's tourism board lists it as the baroque palace on a street otherwise known for medieval mansions.

Read next: The history of Palau Dalmases

The staircase and its myths

The stone staircase is the palace's best-known feature. It rises from the courtyard under two ramping arches carried on twisted Solomonic columns, and its balustrade is carved in relief with the Abduction of Europa and the Triumph of Neptune. Both come from classical myth: Europa is carried across the sea by a bull, and Neptune rides his sea chariot among sea creatures. Look for the carved railing when you arrive. From the courtyard the staircase is visible through the two arches, which makes it the natural place to pause before you take your seat.

The courtyard, the hall and the garden

The courtyard is square, with low arches on Tuscan columns around it. Upstairs, a main hall of 85 square metres is painted from floor to ceiling with trompe-l'oeil columns and statues by the early 19th-century decorator Pau Rigalt. At the back, a raised garden of nearly 300 square metres holds a white marble fountain that is unique in Catalan baroque art. The ticket covers the show and the art gallery, so treat these spaces as background that explains why the building is known; the history guide describes them in more detail.

Read next: The history of Palau Dalmases

Other ways to see flamenco in Barcelona

Palau Dalmases is one of three options compared on this site. Las Brujas is a close-up 50 minute show in a 17th-century cellar in the Gothic Quarter, styled on an Andalusian flamenco cave; it is free to cancel up to 24 hours before. Gran Gala is a 75 minute theatre show at the Palau de la Música Catalana or Teatre Poliorama, with castanets, fans and costumes; its ticket is non-refundable, and the best seat is assigned for you. Choose by setting: a baroque palace, a cellar or a theatre. The comparison guide goes through the terms.

Read next: Barcelona flamenco shows compared

Fitting it into an evening

At 50 to 55 minutes, the show leaves room for dinner on either side. The palace is on Carrer de Montcada, the street where the Museu Picasso occupies five medieval palaces, and in the same district, La Ribera, as the Gothic church of Santa Maria del Mar. The lower part of La Ribera, known as El Born, has many bars and cafés. A simple plan is a walk through the neighbourhood, the show, and dinner afterwards, with the time on your confirmation as the fixed point and everything else arranged around it. If you are travelling with children or older relatives, keep the plan to one neighbourhood so nobody has to cross the city twice.

Read next: Carrer de Montcada and La Ribera

Who this isn't for

If you want a dinner show, this is not it: the ticket is for a 50 to 55 minute performance and a gallery, so plan dinner separately. If you want a large stage and a big company, the Gran Gala theatre show is closer to that. And if you cannot commit to a date more than 24 hours ahead, the free-cancellation window will not help you, so book once your day is fixed. Families should check the ticket types on the booking page for the date before they choose a zone.