Exhilarating streams of grilled sardines, colourful garlands and not a drop of rain on the horizon ! Here and there you can hear a few words hummed on a guitar tune, then the gentle hum of percussion rises and you feel a furious desire to shake…
How to choose a festival in Portugal ?
With friends or family ? Rock or electro ? Do you have a hankering for beaches and djembes ? In the city, in the countryside or on the beach, festivals are flourishing all over Portugal, featuring a multitude of musical genres and internationally renowned artists.
To guide you through this melodious effervescence, I have conducted a little investigation and offer you a selection of the best festivals in Portugal. My name is Benedicte and as well as being part of the Visit my Lisbon team, I’m also a festival buff. Whatever your style, there is something for everyone to satisfy your musical curiosity and your thirst for decibels !
Let’s get to the festivals…
Feel like swinging ? Head to the Alentejo to discover the best dance festival in Portugal : Andanças ! An unmissable event that honours popular music and dance as a privileged means of learning and exchange between generations and cultures. During the day, there are various workshops on European, Balkan, swing, samba, forró and many other dances. And in the evening, you can put all this into practice by dancing to the music of the best artists representing these different styles!
Still not sure ? Even if you’re not a dance fan, you’ll find it hard not to fall for the nightly vibes of the best bands of the moment. And during the day, there are other activities on offer, such as workshops on developing agricultural projects in the extremely hot climate.
Is the heat making your head spin? There’s nothing like a dip in the Castelo de Vide lake to cool you down. How can we conclude without mentioning the delicious meals from the culinary traditions of the four corners of the world…
With such a view and the incomparable assets mentioned above, Andanças will never cease to surprise you!
When to visit ? In August.
Some of the best festivals in Portugal offer you the possibility of a transcendental spiritual experience to enter into communion with yourself, with others and with the world.
This is the case with the Boom festival, which explores the potential of what it means to be human. A week of love, sharing and music in a small corner of paradise revealing the exceptional beauty of Portugal’s nature, and more precisely that of the Castelo Branco region. And yes, that’s all. And I’m talking about experience ! During the last edition of Boom Land, I had the chance to discover the festival as a volunteer. As soon as I arrived at Boom Land, the oldest volunteers gave me a warm welcome and introduced me to the values of the « Boom family »: open-mindedness, tolerance, sharing ideals and common visions for the future. On the programme: world music, psytrance, psychedelic rock, yoga, meditation, full moon ceremonies…
But also creative workshops for the little ones… Because Boom also defines itself as an inclusive festival where families are welcome and special facilities such as the « low noise » campsite are reserved for them.
Note also that the energy and waste management as well as the bio-constructions are sustainable and environmentally friendly. As you can see, the Boom is much more than just a festival. It is a state of mind that brings together countless people and cultures from all over the world. Together they celebrate life and rise to a new dimension of shared love and well-being!
One last detail : the Boom Festival takes place every other year near the small town of Idanha-a-Nova in Castelo Branco. The other summers, the Being Gathering takes place there. Music, wellness workshops, spirituality, yoga, meditation, therapies, dance, massages, you name it ! A more cosy way to experience the beautiful Boomland domain.
When is it open? Late July – early August, every 2 years.
In the same vein, the fledgling Waking Life deserves its place on the list of best festivals in Portugal.
Like Boom, Waking Life is a so-called transformational festival : an alternative festival whose ethos is based on community building and a value system that celebrates life, personal growth, healthy living and creative expression. In addition to a very subtle music program (mostly minimal techno), creative expression at Waking Life takes many forms : land and visionary art, installations, an open-air cinema… And as the name implies, every participant comes out of the event transformed.
Like Waking Life, which has its core in Belgium and Berlin, more and more international organisations are choosing Portugal as a privileged place to develop their projects. What is the reason for this ? « We decided to go to Portugal because we were facing many obstacles in Belgium and Germany: administrative, time, saturated market, unstable weather… It is especially this last factor that was decisive, because in summer in Portugal, the weather is always good ! » explains Jens, one of the festival organisers.
Not to mention the welcome they received from the people of the Alentejo, which immediately endeared them to this beautiful region: « settling in the Alentejo is like travelling back in time. People take the time to help you with every little thing » adds Jens. Whether you are a participant, volunteer or organiser, Portugal is indeed the place to be for summer festivals!
When the sun goes down, the party just starts at Waking Life !
When is it ? In August
The little brother of the legendary festival of the same name in Barcelona, the Portuguese NOS Primavera Sound made its debut in Porto in 2011. Featuring an indie line-up of renowned artists such as Aphex Twin, Boniver and Metronomy, Primavera Sound is an urban festival in the colours of nature, as it takes place in Porto’s beautiful green lung, the Parque da Cidade.
Eclectic music, rich heritage, but also beaches and sun, Primavera Sound is the ideal opportunity for an extended weekend to discover the little secrets of this wonderful city in the Douro Valley.
When ? June
Less than 200 kilometres south of Lisbon, on the majestic Costa Vicentina, the small town of Sines is home to the country’s largest world music festival and without doubt one of the best festivals in Portugal: the Festival Músicas do Mundo de Sines. Soul, Funk, Jazz, Fusion, the programme is extremely varied. The concerts take place in an idyllic setting, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean or inside the castle grounds. Organised by the city for almost 20 years, the festival is also considered one of the most democratic events in the country, as most of the concerts are free.
When ? July
Another must-see event in Portugal, the Paredes de Coura festival takes place on the river beach of Taboão, along the Coura river in the north of the country. Born in 1993, this festival with its enchanting setting was initially the idea of a group of friends who wanted to have a good time and programmed exclusively local artists.
Over the years, this friendly initiative has evolved into one of the most important events in the country, with bands such as Queens of the Stone Age, Placebo, Sonic Youth and Tame Impala, to name but a few.
When ? August
As its name suggests, the Meo Sudoeste has been held since 1997 in Zambujeira do Mar, a small town by the ocean in southwest Portugal. Spread over three stages, the festival has already welcomed big names from the rock and electro scene such as Daft Punk or The Prodigy. The other two stages are dedicated to African music and reggae. Another festival with an eclectic programme, because during the day you can also listen to jazz and even Fado!
When? August
Back to the capital for one of the most important summer festivals in Portugal, Nos Alive. Despite its recent creation, the festival has achieved unprecedented popularity since its inception in 2007 and is now one of the best festivals in Europe, ranked number 1 in 2009 by the British magazine NME ! Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Cure, Radiohead, the biggest international rock stars continue to perform for a sold-out audience under the Lisbon sun.
When ? July
Born in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in 1985, Rock in Rio has also been exported to Lisbon and Madrid and is now one of the biggest festivals in the Portuguese capital, and in the world! Muse, Justin Timberlake, the Chemical Brothers, the big names in rock, pop, electronic and metal are all there. In Lisbon, it takes place every even-numbered year. Once again, the setting is quite pleasant as the festival takes place in the green Bela Vista Park.
When ? June
Also in Lisbon, the Super Bock Super Rock is another large-scale festival that takes place every summer near Meco beach. Prodigy, David Bowie, Metallica, Marilyn Manson and many other big names from the rock scene have already been there. It is also named after one of the country’s leading beer brands, Super Bock.
When ? July
Want more ? The list goes on and on ! Here are some other festivals that might interest you :
| Neopop Electronic Music Festival | neopopfestival.com |
| Sumol Summer Fest | sumolsummerfest.com |
| MEO Mares Vivas | maresvivas.meo.pt |
| Bons sons | bonssons.com |
| Festa do Avante | festadoavante.pcp.pt |
| EDP cool jazz | edpcooljazz.com |
| Lisb-On | lisb-on.pt |
And in the winter festivals : | |
| ID no limits | id-nolimits.com |
| Superbock em Stock | superbockemstock.pt |