Cristina Hoyos, Rubén Olmo, Patricia Guerrero and Pedro Córdoba make up the jury of a competition with prizes of up to 9.000 euros and scholarships at the National Ballet of Spain
Badajoz Jaleo Week invites you to experience the city to the rhythm of the jaleo: three days to discover the hidden corners, the history, and the artists who make the jaleos of Extremadura a palo with designation of origin
Badajoz, June 1, 2026.- The Extremaduran revels They are born in Badajoz. In the Gypsy weddings of the Plaza Alta, in the rhythm that was transmitted from body to body without the need for a stage or a name. A palo with a designation of origin, with its own distinctive accent, which almost remained only in memory. III International Dance Competition Flamenco by Jaleos Extremeños It opens its call today with a single question on the table: who is capable of dancing it best?
The answer will be decided Cristina Hoyos, Rubén Olmo, Patricia Guerrero and Pedro Córdoba —the most powerful jury the competition has ever had— after watching the five finalists perform on the stage López de Ayala Theater on November 13th. There 9.000 Euros For the first, scholarships in the National Ballet of Spain and in the Ballet Flamenco AndalusiaAnd something that is priceless: the real possibility that the Extremaduran festivities will reach those who do not yet know them.
Registration is open until September 30 for flamenco dancers and flamenco dancers between 18 and 45 years From anywhere in the world. A video, a photo, and a resume. The rest is up to you.
A final that demands everything
El Lopez de Ayala Theater It's a stage that's earned. Each finalist goes up with two pieces: one for Extremaduran revelry—with its brushes, its rhythmic sound, its specific beat—and another of free choice, with a maximum of twenty minutes in total and music and cante Live. The jury isn't just looking for technique: they're looking for a concept, identity, and honesty with the palo.
The prizes go beyond money, although money is also involved: 9.000 Euros for the first, 4.000 for the second one, 2.000 for the third. And then what really opens doors: two scholarships at the National Ballet of Spain, stay at the Ballet Flamenco Andalusia, hiring at the Tablao Flamenco Madrid Cultural Centre Under the direction of Pedro Córdoba. The winner will also return in 2027 as a guest artist. The competition doesn't forget those who participate.
El flamenco as a city project
This year the competition doesn't stay on the stage. Badajoz Jaleo Week It arrives in November to demonstrate that the Extremaduran festivities are not just something to be seen: they are something to be lived, walked, and breathed. For three days, the entire city becomes the biggest stage this festival has ever had. paloIts streets, its history, its corners —the same ones that saw this compass born— take on a prominence that goes far beyond the competition.
Because the traditional Extremaduran celebrations originated in Badajoz. And in November, Badajoz brings them back to the world.
Much more than a competition
The International Dance Competition Flamenco Jaleos Extremeños is a determined push to flamenco of the region, a platform for creativity and innovation, and an opportunity for Extremadura to continue projecting its cultural wealth to the world.
Organized by the Cultural Dance Association Flamenco from Extremadura and the International Center for Flamenco Jesús Ortega; with the sponsorship of Extremadura joint, the Badajoz Provincial Council, Badajoz City Hall and the National Ballet of Spain; with the collaboration of López de Ayala Consortium, the Andalusian Agency of Cultural Institutions of the Ministry of Culture and Sport of the Regional Government of Andalusia, the Cajalmendralejo Foundation, the National Association of Tablaos Flamencos of Spain, Cultural Center Flamenco Madrid, Las 3 Campanas Boutique Hotel, Hotel Río Badajoz, centrowagen, Ibérica Actúa, Silence Studios, Fisher Agency y PayPerThink.
