‘Epic gigs and a grassroots vibe’: readers’ favourite music venues in UK and Europe

From a converted prison in Vilnius to a former church in Galashiels, our tipsters seek out brilliant spaces staging live sounds

If you go to a touristy flamenco venue in Granada, the performances will be good quality but the audience, made up of foreign visitors, is likely to be flat. Flamenco should be participatory, and foreign audiences watch too politely and silently. Vimaambi is an artists’ association on the edge of the Sacromonte district. The cellar-like venue hosts weekend flamenco shows featuring young talent. The walls have local art, and the bar sells homemade empanadas. Vimaambi attracts tourists, but also members of the association, performers and local residents. You are surrounded by flamenco: audience members will join in with the palmas (clapping), or get on stage. It is an experience, not a show.
Sarah Collings