Bilbao Tango Cup & Metropolitango Spain

INTERNATIONAL Tango CHAMPIONSHIP

February 19-20, 2027

📍 Palacio Oriol + Serantes Theatre

Santurtzi, Bilbao

Metropolitango Spain

national categories

Metropolitango World

international categories

METROPOLITANGO SPAIN CHAMPIONSHIP: SPAIN CIRCUIT – Regional Round & National Final
DATES & SCHEDULE

Bilbao Tango Cup – Regional Round:
Registration: Friday 19 February 12pm - 3:30pm
Competition: Friday 19 February 5pm - 8pm
The last chance for residents of Spain to secure a place in the national final
Spain National Final:
Registration: Saturday 20 February, 9:30am –10am
Competition: Saturday 20 February, 10.30am – 1pm

METROPOLITANGO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (International Categories)

DATES & SCHEDULE

Qualifying rounds:

Registration: Friday 19 February 12pm–3:30pm or Saturday 20 February 9:30am–10am

Competition: Saturday 20 February 2026 1pm – 3.30pm

International Final:

Registration: Saturday 20 February at 6pm at the theatre.

Competition: Saturday 14 February 2026 7pm – 9pm, Serantes Theatre

LOCATION

Accreditation, qualifiers and national final:

📍URH Palacio de Oriol

Cristobal de Murrieta Hiribidea, 27, 48980 Santurce - Bilbao, Spain

MetropoliTango World Final

📍Serantes Theatre

Gabriel Aresti Kalea, s/n, 48980 Santurtzi, Bizkaia

Metropolitango Spain

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

✅ Professional & Amateur categories

✅ One person in the couple must be a National or resident of Spain

✅ Over 18 years old

Judges

Sebastián Avedaño & Tanya Gutiérrez

Sebastián Avendaño and Tanya Gutiérrez are professional tango dancers, choreographers, teachers, and producers with 23 years of experience. They are the general directors of the Tango Recuerdo Company and teach at the Blanco y Negro Argentine Tango School in Bavaria, Germany.

Sebastián is also the founder and director of A Puro Tango Dance Company, a two-time world champion in the professional group category.

They are regular figures in world competitions and festivals (being champions in Budapest, Istanbul, Bilbao and Paris) and won the European Preliminary in Buenos Aires in July 2026, entering directly into the BA Final.

Fernando Galera & Pamela Colaneri

Fernando is a leading figure in Argentine tango and folklore and a regular judge in competitions. With over four decades dedicated to dance, he began his training at a very young age, entering the prestigious academy of El Chúcaro, Norma, and Nidia Viola. His path in tango has been shaped by great figures such as Juan Carlos Copes, Miguel Balmaceda, Pepito Avellaneda, Teté Rusconi, Pupy Castello, and Graciela González, among others.

Throughout her career, she has performed on stages and dance floors around the world with renowned artistic partners. She is currently embarking on a new chapter alongside Pamela Colaneri, an Argentine dancer and teacher.

Together, they understand tango far beyond technique: as a cultural experience, linked to its history, its codes and its roots.

Pablo Nievas

Barbara Cicero
(Supervisor)

The role of the supervisor is very important to ensure that the six jury members give a fair and balanced score.

Barbara has been organizing and overseeing the most prestigious and long-standing Official Tango BA Preliminary in Europe for 15 years. She also organizes and sponsors the entire MetropoliTango World championship circuit. We will be using her same scoring system, proven over many years.

Pablo Nievas has over 30 years’ experience teaching and promoting tango around the world. His connection with this dance began in childhood under the guidance of his grandfather, learning the female role, and later continued with solid training alongside leading figures and milongueros, including Juan Carlos Esposito, Stella Maris Rivero, Rodolfo and María Cieri, and the legendary Pepito Avellaneda, whom he assisted in his classes.

He currently runs the Tango Frenesí school in Buenos Aires and regularly tours Europe and the Americas, promoting the teaching, roots and culture of tango.

Event Location

We have a luxurious venue for the competition: the Palacio Oriol, a historic building overlooking the sea and the Bilbao estuary in the Santurtzi neighborhood of Bilbao. We've set up a 300-square-meter wooden dance floor in the hall with large windows facing the sea. The Palacio also has 90 hotel rooms with full board options: you can sleep and dine in complete comfort right here at the competition. Alongside the championships, we're holding the Bilbao Tango Festival from Monday, February 15th to Sunday, February 21st, 2027: milongas, exhibitions, classes with the judges, live music, tours, and more.

Program, Classes & Milongas

The championships are held in conjunction with the Bilbao Tango Festival 2027, which will take place from Monday 15th until midnight on Sunday 21st of February: A whole week of tango, milongas, classes, exhibitions, live music, workshops, talks, tourist routes and more!
Classes with the jury members will be held from Thursday, February 18th to Sunday, February 21st.
Discounts on Milonga Packs, Class Packs and Festival Passes for Metropolitango members and competitors

Get to know Bilbao Tango Festival

Classes with the maestros

Accommodation

Participants of the Bilbao Tango Festival & Cup 2027 can stay at a special rate at the iconic Hotel URH Palacio Oriol, the event's main venue. This offer is valid for stays of two nights or more, with the option of room only, breakfast included, or half board (breakfast and dinner). Rooms for one, two, or three people are available from €95 per night per room.

HOW TO BOOK?

Reservations for the Palacio are available by calling the hotel directly or by sending an email, mentioning that you want to book for the Tango Festival in 2027:

📞 +34 944 93 41 00

info.urhoriol@urh-hoteliers.com

If you encounter any problems or need help with this booking, please don't hesitate to email us and we'll try to assist you.

In the surrounding area, there are many other accommodation options ranging from budget-friendly to luxury. Suggestions: Hotel San Jorge, Hotel Puente Colgante, Pensión Iruña, Pensión Barlovento, and apartments listed on Booking.com and Airbnb in the Santurce and Portugalete areas. These are lively neighborhoods with plenty of restaurants, bars, and tourist attractions.