“It’s Summer, It’s Portimão” campaign marks the start of the high season programme

There are several proposals until September, of which some already established ones stand out, such as the Sardine Festival, the World Press Photo exhibition or the Chaminé D'Ouro Festival, but also other more recent bets such as A Noitada, Quintas ao Luar or the InDireita Street Fest, which, even so, promise to have a high turnout once again.

The new features of this year's editions and the many highlights of the programme, which begins this month and continues throughout the summer, were revealed during the official presentation of the events agenda, at Praça da República (Alameda), one of the city's main stages.

The session in this central space also included the launch of the new image of local commerce and the “Digital Neighbourhoods” project, both promoted by the municipality of Portimão to give a dynamic boost to businesses that already exist in this area, in a measure that will be complemented by the different events that are planned to take place throughout this area.

Literature marks the start of the program

And it is with this dynamic that the programme opens, at the end of the afternoon of this Friday, June 20th, with the return of the Portimão Book Fair, in a new format, next to the Antiga Lota. Until July 6th, the venue, with several stands and open air, promotes several activities open to the general public, such as presentations of new works, conversations with many renowned writers, debates and even Story Time, for the youngest ones.

The following week, on June 26th, the suggestions include a trip to the city center to watch the premiere of the second edition of the “Quintas ao Luar” initiative, which aims to boost the local economy by showcasing emerging artists and talents from the municipality, while also promoting commerce during extended opening hours (from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm). With different themes, the project returns to the streets on July 31st, August 21st and September 11th.

This project thus whets the appetite for another edition of the InDireita Street Fest, which will take place on one of the city's main shopping streets, on June 29th on Rua Direita, and will be repeated on September 28th. This thoroughfare will be closed to traffic and invites people to socialize and discover various products, to the sound of concerts also featuring local artists.

In July, another edition of the already renowned AfroNation music festival, which in 2024 had an average daily attendance of 40 thousand people, promises to once again attract thousands of visitors to Praia da Rocha, between the 9th and 11th of July. This festival is joined by two other proposals in the Riverside Area, which are also consolidated events. This is the case of Lota Cool Market (16th to 20th of July) and the World Press Photo exhibition (20th of July to 10th of August), where the best images captured throughout the year show impressive scenarios.

Studies attest to investment in anchor events

Then, at the end of the month, two of the city's major anchor events will take place, which also promise to attract thousands of people. Portimão City Council wants to repeat the success of last year's inaugural edition with A Noitada, on 25 and 26 July, and is therefore investing in an entertainment programme that will take in several and more entertainment venues, where art, lighting and concerts will once again surprise the public.

At the beginning of August, the highlight will be the Sardine Festival, which opens on the 5th with the historical recreation of the unloading of sardines at Cais Gil Eanes, and which keeps the identity of the Portimão community alive, in an evocation of fishing and the canning industry.

That night, one of the biggest names in Portuguese music will take to the stage at the Sardine Festival. Rui Veloso will open the event, followed by Pedro Abrunhosa on the 6th, Diogo Piçarra on the 7th, Nena on the 8th, Para Sempre Marco on the 9th of August, and Resistência, to close the six days dedicated to sardines. It is a lineup that, along with the tasting of sardines in bread, crafts and other musical entertainment, will certainly please a variety of audiences.

These were, in fact, the two events presented by Álvaro Bila , Mayor of Portimão, during the official presentation on 18 June. “There is no shortage of proposals from a wide range of areas, many of them promoted with our parishes and local associations”, which are important. These are two anchor events in the municipality, which will mark this summer, and which complement the rest of the agenda.

“All of our major initiatives are assessed economically and I believe that these projects are attracting more and more people. Last year, we signed a protocol with the University of Algarve to prepare an economic impact study in order to find out the return that three major events (A Noitada, the Sardinha Festival and the Christmas and New Year’s Eve programme) brought to our city”, stated the mayor. Considered a successful venture, the municipality wants to repeat this success.

August with Calema and Da Weasel

In turn, the eclectic Mar Me Quer Festival, between 13 and 15 August, also features many new acts and big names, such as Calema and Da Weasel, the latter band reuniting again to revive their greatest hits, in a very small number of concerts across the country.

The month of August ends with the International Masters Futsal , on the 23rd and 24th, at Portimão Arena, and September begins immediately with new flavours proposed by Arrebita Portimão, on the 6th and 7th, at Alameda and surrounding areas, in a bid to boost local commerce as the high tourist season approaches. Portimão Arena will also host Investor Talks 25, on the 13th and 14th of September.

Parishes also with strong summer entertainment

Among the initiatives scheduled until September, the proposals under the responsibility of the parishes of Portimão, Alvor and Mexilhoeira Grande also deserve attention. In the city, the DAMA concert, which marks the anniversary of the parish, on 12 July, at Alameda, stands out, as well as the Chaminé de Ouro Festival (19 July) and the João César Accordion Festival (23 August).

In Alvor, one of the highlights will be the Feast of Senhor Jesus de Alvor, in the Riverside Zone (14 to 17 August), while Mexilhoeira Grande will have as attractions the events Do You Remember (1 August), Youth Week (29 August to 6 September) and the Berbigão Festival (13 and 14 September), where the organization of local associations stands out.

Sports, leisure and culture also take to the streets

These are just some of the highlighted events, because the Municipality presents many more initiatives for the three months, such as «A Grande Fantochada», a show by Hugo Van Der Ding, Verão Azul, Portimão Wine Tasting, Humor.Ptm, the exhibitions «Tabernas de Portimão», «Há Fado na Lota» and «Nuno Júdice – O Prazer das Imagens», the 5th BTT Cidade de Portimão Marathon – 3rd Algarve XCM Cup or the National 3X3 Basketball Circuit.

The full schedule for the months of June, July, August and September can be found here .