Why Sundays are the new Saturday nights in Seville

It’s years since I’ve been ‘a full on Saturday night goer outer’. It’s something about heaving crowds, anxious beer drinking and an inevitable one copa too many.

But don’t get me wrong, I still like to dip my toe in the social waters, I just prefer the calmer, less beer sodden variety. So that’s where Sunday nights in Seville are my saviour.

Sunday nights since almost the beginning of living memory (well the last twenty or so years at least) have been Anima night. When I say Anima, I mean ‘Galería Taberna Anima’, the spit and sawdust bar near San Lorenzo that beneath its tiled, traditional veneer, hides an anarchic love of counter culture and music. On any Sunday night that doesn’t coincide with one of Austrian owner Peter’s regular sojourns to far flung climes, you’ll find live music of the jazz fusion variety and a discerning international crowd.

Live music at Anima

The Alameda has also stepped up its live music offering in the last few months. For a while Habanilla, one of the longest serving bars predating the Alameda’s current boho incarnation, has been putting on live music almost every night of the week. But for some reason it’s Sunday nights that get one of the best vibes. Could be down to the bands they choose - I’m a sucker for anything Brazilian and on Sunday nights Habanilla often hosts Samba outfit Roda de Samba, complete with the enthusiastic attendance of the entire Seville Brazilian community.

And then there’s the latest Sunday night event on the block - open mic and La Sra. Pop. Almost unrecognisable from its old Utopia days, La Sra. Pop is all sofas and lounging vibe, which makes it the perfect place for some low key Sunday chillin. Although don’t be fooled into thinking that because it’s an open mic there’ll be ‘cuatro gatos’ (hardly anyone) singing out of tune on a badly tuned guitar.

The open mic night, hosted by Seville ‘personaje’ Daniel Mata is turning out to be the surprise success of the moment. Only in its third week, it is attracting some of the city’s best talent who show up, play some tunes, make you laugh or even recite poetry. If you’re new in town or travelling through and have a performer lurking inside, this could be the perfect place to bring your own brand of entertainment to a welcoming, local audience.

Tomorrow night I may actually have to find a way to clone myself as if I could, I’d be at all three. Not a bad feeling to have on a Sunday night in Seville.