Kafe Antzokia

Kafe Antzokia opened on december 15, 1995 in downtown Bilbao, in the place formerly known as San Vicente cinema. A complete refurbishment on the old cinema inculded removal of all seats, installation of a kitchen and four bars, so it became a multi-purpose venue. Today, Kafe Antzokia is a lively place known by music lovers worldwide for its varied schedule.

A Basque language related project
Promoted by the Zenbat Gara cultural association, the project was started by a group of Basque language teachers in Bilbao. In a city where Basque speaking people are not the majority of the population, there was a lack of places for students to practice out of the classroom the way a natural linguistic immersion is produced. In order to learn faster and better, they needed those places and moments that would offer them the chance to practice the language naturally in their leisure time.

Moreover, there are thousands of Basque speakers in Bilbao in need of places to meet and use their language naturally. So, setting up a meeting point for native and student speakers alike and placing it in Bilbao center was equally important to sthrenghten the Basque speaking community of this city, along with an economically viable project to make it self-sustainable.

This is a short clip we prepared for our XIIth aniversary, showing the preparations, opening and daily life of our venue. If image stalls, please pause to let the buffer load for some seconds and then press play again.

For the last 15 years Kafe Antzokia has more than fulfilled its initial expectations, it has become a renowned meeting point for Basque speakers from Bilbao and the whole country. Open also to foreign visitors and artists we host a number of daily, weekly and monthly activities and a varied schedule of Basque and international artists.

As for live music, Kafe Antzokia is the main stage in Bilbao. Most Basque musicians and singers have already played here, and we host many international artists too. They like coming to this cozy theatre and most of them appreciate the Basques' hospitality. Music fans also come from far away, attracted by our schedule.

Our chefs set a balanced and tasty lunchtime menu that we serve daily (except Sundays) for around 200 people. People have their meals on the very stage where there was a concert the previous night, and there is magic in it.

There is a lively nightlife every weekend. After each night's concert, Kafe Antzokia is bursting with people dancing and drinking untill late. Our music selection features Basque and international rock, pop, reggae and other styles of music, generally not mainstream but rather eclectic.

Kafe Antzokia has set up the basis for many activities to promote the use of Basque language, by means of the Zenbat Gara association. One of them is Bilbo Hiria irratia, a Basque-speaking community radio station that broadcasts for the metropolitan area of Bilbao, with an interesting cultural schedule.

The same building hosts a Basque language academy, Euskaltegi Gabriel Aresti. With around 1500 students, this is the main Basque teaching centre for adults of our country. Also tied to Zenbat Gara, this academy organizes many of its activities in this venue: conferences, workshops, festivals, theatre shows...

Following the opening of Kafe Antzokia in Bilbao, we opened another Kafe Antzokia in Ondarroa in 2002, a similar venue with the same focus on Basque culture and language.

Zenbat Gara association organizes several activities here on a monthly or weekly basis:

• Lagun Artean Kantari is an open sing along session of Basque traditional and contemporary songs. Singing among friends, with the help of Anje Duhalde, a well known Basque singer and guitar player.
• Urbeltzen Dantza Ganbara as for Basque traditional dances, this is a rooted tradition in our country and this open session is guided by Juan Antonio Urbeltz, a famous Basque folklorist and dance director.
• Kurkuluxetan Umegunea. Every sunday afternoon there are activities for children in the Olgetan haur jaia, there is also a scenic arts school for them (music, dance and theatre school), then there is Ane Monna, Oskola eta Karramarroi theatre group for children, whith their plays and CD-DVD productions...

So, you will find different activities, people and ambiances in Kafe Antzokia at any given time. If the only thing left is to come and see it with your own eyes, then what are you waiting for? Come and we'll be glad to welcome you. Ongi etorri euskararen hirira! Welcome to the city of Basque!