Summertime and the livin’ is easy… and cheapo if you know where to head in Paris. While every other tourist is heading to the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, the city offers an abundance of summertime options that will keep you dancing, bopping or enjoying a free flick.

Here are some of my favorite outdoor festivals happening this summer:

Cinéma en Plein Air
July 19 through August 21, 2011
Web site

The Parc de la Villette in the 19th arrondissement hosts an annual summertime outdoor film festival that’s popular with cinephiles. An enormous screen in the park draws crowds every night of the week, except Monday, to view a variety of movies.

This year the films have been selected from around the world, including familiar French favorites like La Haine (Aug. 13) and Les Triplettes de Belleville (July 23). From the other side of the Atlantic, there will be plenty of English-language favorites as well. Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver will open the festival on July 19th and Woody Allen’s Manhattan will be shown on August 18th.

Keeping in tune with the Broadway musical theme that has pervaded Paris this year, both Singin’ in the Rain (Aug 10) and West Side Story (Aug 21) are lined up. Entrance to this event is, of course, free. Just bring a blanket, kick back and enjoy,

Outdoor Music Festivals

No urban summer would be complete without a concert series. Here are some of Paris most popular outdoor musical performances:

Paris Jazz Festival
Through July 31
Web site

At the Parc Floral in the picturesque Bois de Vincennes in the east of Paris, the annual Jazz Festival will run through July. Every Saturday and Sunday there are concerts at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. highlighting different types of jazz. Check out the festivals Web site for a schedule.

Classiques au Vert
August 6 through September 25, 2011
Web site

Picking up where the jazz left off in the Parc Floral, starting August 6th, singers and orchestras will be celebrating the Americas with concerts dedicated to their music during the Classiques au Vert. Every Saturday and Sunday there will be groups singing and strumming along, including concerts dedicated to great Broadway melodies (Aug. 13), Sousa marches (Sept. 18) and Hollywood repertoires (Sept. 25).

For those not interested in waving Old Glory during a concert, there are plenty of concerts dedicated to classical music as well, just check the program to discover what’s going on during your time in Paris.

Sadly the concerts during both festivals are not free. They will set you back €5, or €2.50 for children, so you may have to reconsider that second glass of wine. Concerts begin at 4 p.m. each weekend.

Keep an eye out for other garden concerts (click for the entire schedule). It probably won’t be translated into English before most of the events are over, but you can check by district and date to find out what musical performances are happening throughout the city.

Danse Avec Nous

Finally, why just listen to the music when you can move along with it? Along the Left Bank of the Seine, just behind the Ile-St-Louis, you’ll find all sorts of dancing going on late into the night.

Danse Avec Nous is a club that hosts free salsa, tango and regional French dance lessons in the tiny amphitheaters that line the river. Feel free to jump in with a partner–hopefully one that knows what he or she is doing–for one of the most memorable evenings in Paris.

Just walk along the Quai Saint Bernard near the square Tino Rossi (along the river, walking with your back to Notre Dame) and you’re guaranteed to stumble across the party– just listen for the music. Pack a picnic and the night is yours–free of charge!

Other summertime activities

Read our post about the ‘Paris Plages‘ for more summer fun. Know any other great outdoor festivals happening this summer in Paris? Tell us about them in our comments section.

The post Paris in the Summer: Outdoor film, music and dance festivals appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Madrid’s live music scene is alive and kicking with both local and international artists setting the bar high. One of the most wonderful things about live music in Madrid is that you can enjoy it without breaking the bank! The cheapest way to catch a concert is to frequent one of the many jam sessions going on around town on any given night.

Whether you wish to partake or just join the audience, the jams listed below boast free entry, high quality music and a great atmosphere – what more could you ask for?

Marula
C/Caños Viejos 3, 28005
Metro: La Latina & Opera
Web site

Luck Dados performing at La Boca del Lobo. Photo: Jota Pe

This La Latina treasure is one of Madrid’s best-kept secrets. Tucked below the Viaducto de Segovia, Marula is a small, funky bar that has live music throughout the week. Monday is Jam Night led by American drummer Noah Shaye and is an unmissable weekly event for all you jazz and soul fans. The music kicks off at midnight and goes on into the small hours.

Moe
C/Alberto Alcocer 32, 28036
Metro: Cuzco & Colombia
Web site

Just off the Paseo de la Castellana, Moe is a friendly bar that showcases the best in jazz, blues and Latin music. There are two jam sessions each week at Moe, so you can catch the Blues Jam on a Tuesday and the Jazz Jam on a Wednesday. Things start heating up from 10:30 p.m.

La Boca del Lobo
C/Echegaray 11, 28014
Metro: Sol
Web site

If you like funk music, then this is definitely the place for you! Get down to this Huertas favorite on a Wednesday for the Roots and Grooves Jam Session. Music starts at 11 p.m. and makes for an excellent midweek choice.

El Junco
Plaza Santa Barbara 10, 28004
Metro: Alonso Martinez
Web site

Dark and atmospheric, El Junco makes a great change from the bars and clubs of Chueca and Malasaña. Stop by on a Sunday for Norman Hogue’s legendary Blues Jam, or wind down on a Tuesday as Ruben Andreu and his band lead the Jazz Jam. It all gets going at 11:30 p.m. and goes on until late.

Sala Barco
C/Barco 34, 28004
Metro: Tribunal
Web site

You may well have already danced the night away at this infamous Malasaña haunt on a Friday or Saturday, but did you know about the Sunday Jam? Led by the incredible Cuban saxophonist, Inoidel Gonzalez, this Jazz Jam starts at 11:30 p.m. and is the perfect place to end your weekend on a high note.

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This bad news is reflected in the large cuts in the public sector in Spain. June was rife with protests held by civil servants upset over pay cuts to come in July. Times are hard for the Spanish, and one could say that this is no time for a party, no time for a holiday.

Then again, maybe just now, when things are looking grim and the economy is swan diving into the Mediterranean, is precisely the time to celebrate. Why host a pity party, when the sun is shining, the sea is warm, the tomatoes are ripe and summer is here?

I think in many ways, that this attitude is the right one to have. After all, what better cure for the unemployment blues (over 4 million unemployed) than a concert on a cobblestone plaza or a picnic at the free outdoor theater?

For summer 2010, join in the fun at some of these free (or inexpensive) festivals and parties held in Barcelona. Here’s the summer “anti-crisis” scoop:

GREC Festival
June 13, 2010 to the first week in August 2010
Various venues
Web site

Dance, theater, music, circus and family fun! Grec is one of the best summertime Barcelona festivals because it has something for everyone. Unlike alternative Primavera Sound, or the post-rave-scene Sonar Festival, Grec is something you could go to with your mom or with the kiddies, or with a group of rowdy friends.

I was surprised not to see as many big-name acts as I have in years past on the Grec roster, but nevertheless it will be good. Musical acts include Toni Zenet, Corrine Bailey Rae, Dee Dee Bridgewater and more.

Theater performances could be daunting unless your Catalan or Spanish is excellent. Consider seeing a dance performance instead: Look for Buto/Ko Murobushi (July 10) and Dunas (July 15).

See the full line-up online. Most performances go for €10 to €40. However, there are also many free events associated with Grec.

Sala Montjuic
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from July 5 to August 8, 2010
Montjuic Castle Gardens
Bus: TMB buses from the Towers on Plaza Espanya
Doors open at 8:30 p.m.
Web site

Sala Montjuic is an open-air film festival at the Montjuic Castle. The film selection includes both Spanish and English titles. (See the schedule for exact info.) There’s usually live music before each film screening.

Though the event is popular, it is a bit hard to get to. If you don’t have a car, you will need to take the special bus provided by the city to get up to the top of the mountain (leaving from Plaza Espanya). Despite the fact that 2,000 people can fit at the castle cinema, lines for the bus are long. Being the early bird will get you a place, otherwise, you’ll miss out. Or take a cab up to the show, but this may be expensive.

If you manage to get up to Sala Montjuic, you will be in for a treat. Pack dinner and a blanket to lay over the grass. Tickets to the movie are €5 and a rental chair is €3.

Gandules 2010
August 3-26, 2010
C/ Montalegre 5
Metro: lines 1, 2 and 3 (Catalunya and Universitat) FGC and RENFE
Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m.-p.m.
Admission: Free
Web site

In August, pack your picnic basket with wine, a baguette, and a block of Manchego cheese and head over to Gandules 2010, the outdoor alternative cinema held each year at the CCCB.

As of now (June 11, 2010), the movie schedule is not yet up, but I am sure it will be interesting, whatever they decide to show. In years past they have shown music documentaries and documentaries about rural life in Tibet. It is free, so get there early or you will be sitting on the floor.

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With that “point” in mind, here’s a walking tour of the Cimetière de Montmartre, with just a dash of tawdry gossip for fun. Shall we dance?

5e division

Le dieu de la danse and dance master for Louis XVI, Gaetan Vestris was first to drop the mask during performances, and rely on expressive good looks alone. Vanity-inspired innovation? “There are but three great men in Europe—the king of Prussia, Voltaire and I,” was his favorite boast. Son Auguste Vestris (Le dieu II) reigned over the Paris Opera for decades, where he busted a sissonne (flying) move and made the folk favorite gavotte his own.

22e division

Marie Taglioni’s appearance in her father’s “La Sylphide” marked the arrival of the Romantics. Though she wasn’t the first to dance en pointe or don the muslin skirt (skimming the ankle much to the delight of every binocular-carrying dandy!), she’s the one who made it her own. Taglioni’s popularity launched her name into the lingo: the verb Taglioniser (to be slender and graceful). And most coveted coiffeur? À la syphide!

29e division

Riots erupted in Milan when Fanny Cerrito took the stage to challenge rival Taglioni. According to her choreographer husband, Arthur Saint-Leon, Cerrito was clearly the winner. “Taglioni’s leg encompassed a great deal of attention; Cerrito’s leg magnified excitement.”

31e division

Famed terpsichorean Louise Weber, a.k.a. La Goulue (the Glutton) was Queen of the Can Can and a favorite muse of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. She earned her moniker for nipping drinks from her audience while distracting them with her pantaloons and little pet goat. “When I see my behind in these paintings, I find it beautiful!” she once quipped.

3e division

Poet and dance critic Théophile Gàutier wrote “Giselle” for dancer Carlotta Grisi after falling hard for her. Though the affair was short-lived, all was not lost. Gáutier married her sister instead, and thus literature entered the world of ballet.

22e division

Though limelight stage lighting had the advantage of being a lot brighter than oil, it still wasn’t hazard-free. Taglioni protégé Emma Livry refused to soak her gauzy costume in fire-proofing because she abhorred the discoloring and feared it would weigh her down, but then tripped over a limelight, and set herself on fire. And now here she is!

4e division

“The dancer is an excuse to paint pretty fabric and depict movement,” wrote Edgar Degas, who painted his beloved petits rats (ballerinas in training) for nearly fifty years. He’s buried here and many Parisians and tourists alike pay homage to him by leaving flowers. Bonus: Check out his paintings and sculptures at the Musée d’Orsay.

The tomb of the Degas (de Gas) family

Intersection 8e 9e + 11e

Courtier Paul Poiret (Le Magnifique) not only draped favorite client Isadora Duncan in diaphanous chitons made of Dijon-colored chiffon, but also performed with her at his infamous Ballets Russes-inspired, tented backyard fêtes.

22e division

“Our children would be dancing geniuses,” Isadora Duncan mused to Ballets Russes Vaslav Nijinsky by way of a marriage proposal. Unfortunately, he turned her down, because—rumor has it—he didn’t want his children dancing like her! When asked the secret to his airy, floating leaps, he would say only, “You have just to go up and then pause a little up there.”

Still feel like dancing? At the Cimetière du Pere Lachaise, you’ll find still more: Jane Avril, Isadora Duncan, Loïe Fuller, Cléo de Mérode, and Alwin Nikolais (to name but a few) await you.

Looking for a guided walking tour? Check out our post on free guided tours in Paris.

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Free flamenco in Seville (for a drink)

La Carboneria is a hot spot located in the Barrio Santa Cruz, a neighborhood known for its free flamenco shows. Although dismissed by some as a tourist trap, La Carboneria will have you tapping your feet as the dancers stomp to the beat. Its energy is infectious. When the weather is warm, you can take in the free show on La Carboneria’s outdoor patio (tapas and drinks not included).

La Carboneria is open daily, excluding Mondays, from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.

For 13 more places to catch free flamenco in Seville, including places that welcome you to join the dancing, check out Explore Seville’s article on flamenco.

Another spot is Lola de los Reyes in Triana (pictured above). It’s not free but it is affordable and lots of fun.

Also see: our list of recommended budget hotels in Seville.

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