June, time for Festas
We are counting the days to the beginning of Festas de Lisboa: an entire month with activities, where every Art has its space and time, with events that are free and suitable for all ages.
Festas de Lisboa begins with the opening of a new municipal theatre: LU.CA is a space dedicated to a younger audience and through the month they will have plays, visits and workshops, starting on the 1st of June.
The young musicians from Orquestra Geração will share the stage with Orquestra Gulbenkian on June 2nd in a show that will include the soundtrack of Star Wars.
We cannot have Festas de Lisboa without Parades and this year Portuguese actor, Vasco Santana, is the inspiration, as this year marks the 120th anniversary of his birth. Vasco é Saudade is the winning song – the Grande Marcha de Lisboa – that everybody is going to sing on the night of Saint Anthony, when Lisbon’s neighbourhoods parade down Avenida da Liberdade. Festas de Lisboa hit the streets with the arraiais, the tradition of Saint Anthony’s Weddings and of course with the Sardines – you can check out the winning sardines of this year competition and several others in the exhibition Save the Sardine, at Galeria Millennium in Rua Augusta.
We also join the 20th anniversary of Expo’98, one of the most remarkable events in the city's cultural life: you will be able to remember some of the best moments during a multimedia show that will take place outside Pavilhão de Portugal and also get to know how the area looked like before Expo, in the exhibition You are (not) Here, by photographer Bruno Portela.
Lisboa’s cultural diversity is present with Lisboa Mistura and Diversy Party, at Ribeira das Naus; we will have Fado at castelo de São Jorge with Carlos do Carmo, Carminho and Camané; and Summer Choral Festival and Philharmonic Band Festival – Com’Paço are also back.
We say goodbye to this year edition with Gilberto Gil in Torre de Belém’s Garden, at the last day of the month. Refavela 40 brings us the sound of samba, reggae, Bahia’s afro and American funk.
Rui Sousa is the man behind this year’s illustrations.
Join us!