sugestão
Lisbon’s Festivities have arrived
From June 1 to June 30, throughout the city
This year, the Festival begins by challenging gravity at Alameda D. Afonso Henriques and will finish with the celebration of Antonio - not Saint Antonio, but rather Antonio Variações - in a surprising tribute to one of the most remarkable Portuguese musicians of the last quarter of the 20th century. Throughout the month, Lisbon will be celebrating and, in addition to the traditional popular procession and marriages of Saint António, there is a whole set of irresistible options... all outdoors and with free admission.
The Lisbon Festivities officially open at 7:30 p.m on June 1. In Alameda D. Afonso Henriques in the direction of Fonte Luminosa, Tatiana-Mosio Bongonga, currently one of the world’s greatest tightrope artists, will walk 300 meters on a tightrope at a height of 33 meters. In Linhas Voadoras, the acrobat co-founder of Companhia Basinga (France) and her peers will challenge gravity, accompanied by live music from the Armada Band.
As the Festivities begin on World Children’s Day, it is worth highlighting two activities for the young: in Jardim da Quinta das Conchas, Guardar Segredo invites children to enter two wardrobes to discover the most secret of secrets in a show forming part of the commemorative program for the 125th anniversary of São Luiz Theater; while elsewhere in the city, to be precise, in Calçada da Ajuda, LU.CA – Luís de Camões Theater celebrates its first anniversary with various shows, street performances, artistic expression workshops, readings and other surprises.
The traditional popular procession, floats, displays and marriages of Saint Anthony return to the streets. On the longest night of the month (June 12), 16 pairs of newlyweds, 23 procession participants and 1 guest party, the Marcha Popular de Ribeira de Frades, will parade down Avenida da Liberdade under the aegis of the popular Saint.
Speaking of weddings, the now customary program Fado no Castelo proposes an unlikely coupling: singers of the “Fado” tradition, Ana Moura and Raquel Tavares, will “marry” this type of song with other musical styles. On June 14, Ana Moura will accompany the traditional a capella music of the group Sopa de Pedra; the following night, Raquel Tavares will perform with the black gospel music of the Gospel Collective.
Among several dozens of proposals, Festival highlights include another edition of the Com’Paço festival, which once again presents philharmonic bands from all over the country in two city gardens, including for the first time Alameda D. Afonso Henriques, which will be the stage of the closing concert featuring the young musical band Com’Paço’19 and Anabela as guests (June 22). Also highlighted are the intercultural Lisboa Mistura, which this year moves to Quinta das Conchas (June 8-10), and the Diversity Festival in Ribeira das Naus (June 29-30).
To conclude, on June 29, in Torre de Belém Garden, the closing is marked by a unique concert put together especially for the occasion dedicated to Antonio Variações who in 2019 would have turned 75 years of age. His songs will be recreated on stage by Ana Bacalhau, Conan Osiris, Lena D’Água, Manuela Azevedo, Paulo Bragança and Selma Uamusse, accompanied by the Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa and symphonic arrangements by Filipe Melo, Filipe Raposo and Pedro Moreira.
The full program of Lisbon Festivities can be found here.
