Summer is finally here, and it brings Primavera Sound and other super fun festivals you really need to check out. There is one every week, all with different concepts and themes, from music to dance and even the celebration of saints.
Smile, festival season is upon us!
Serralves em Festa (Serralves Festival) – 50 hours non-stop
Photo by: Fundação de Serralves, Porto
When: 01/06/2018-03/06/2018
Where: Fundação Serralves
Serralves in Festa is the biggest contemporary arts festival in Portugal, and it comprises a wide list of cultural activities that will take place in Serralves and around Porto. The event includes music, contemporary dance, theater and film, architecture and ecology, and it will illustrate the existing harmony between performing and visual arts.
Are you ready to celebrate for 50 hours straight? I think we can all agree the answer is a resounding yes!
NOS Primavera sound
Photo courtesy of: NOS Primavera Sound
When: 06/06/2018-09/06/2018
Where: Parque da Cidade
Price: 60€ (daily ticket), still available (here)
If life was a summer festival, we definitely wish it was just like Primavera Sound. For three days, Parque da Cidade will be filled with flower crowns and some of the best bands and artists. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Lorde, A$AP Rocky, and many more will be performing, a line-up so diverse that it’s guaranteed to please every crowd. There are five different stages you will stumble upon in the middle of all the hills and greenery, a market that features stores from Porto and a food court with delicious options.
The festival will start on the 6th of June, at Avenida dos Aliados, where Fatboy Slim will be performing for free.
Unfortunately, full festival tickets are already sold out, but if you hurry up and click on the link below you can still buy daily tickets.
Porto beer fest
Photo courtesy of: Porto Beer Fest
When: 13/06/2018-16/06/2018
Where: Jardins do Palácio de Cristal
Palácio de Cristal will welcome some of the best craft beer makers and more than 300 different types of beer. And as you can’t drink on an empty stomach, there will also be food available that goes perfectly with your drink. Concerts, masterclasses ,and labshops are also part of the program, so you will leave Porto Beer Fest with a lot of knowledge about beer, and not only about drinking it.
São Pedro da Afurada
Photo by: oportoblog
When: 21/06/2018-02/07/2018
Where: Afurada, Vila Nova de Gaia
Event Program (Portuguese only)
Now, let’s find out what is happening on the other side of the river where Saint Peter, the patron of fishermen, is celebrated. The event takes place in Afurada, a fishing village in Vila Nova de Gaia, and it includes parades, concerts, and, spectacular fireworks that are launched from boats and from Arrábida bridge.
Festa de São João
Photo by: oportoblog
When: 23/06/2018-24/06/2018
Where: City center, Ribeira, D.Luis Bridge
Here in Porto we take the São João Festival really seriously.
The celebrations start on the 23rd, when everybody gets their barbecue game on. The most common dishes are sardinhas (grilled sardines) grilled peppers and caldo verde, that are all served with lots and lots of wine and beer. If you plan to eat out, book a table in advance because the city will be crowded. One of the traditions is to use plastic hammers and wild leek, and you should definitely get some yourself. It’s normal to be hit on the head by strangers, but you can just do the same thing and end up making some new friends.
After having some food, walk to Aliados where every year Portuguese bands and artists perform to give the city a soundtrack. Last thing you know, it’s almost midnight, and it’s time for the highlight of the party: the fireworks at D. Luis Bridge. Ribeira, Sé, Cais de Gaia, Miradouro da Vitória or even a boat on the river, are just a few of the places where you can get the best views to see the fireworks. If you are not already in Ribeira, that’s the next place you should go. There are traditional dance parties and drinks everywhere!
If you are brave enough after all that walking (and drinking), tradition says you should end your night on the beach in Foz or Matosinhos. Once you get there, it’s finally time to rest, and it will all have been worth it once you see the sunrise.
EDP Beach Party
Photo courtesy of: EDP Beach Party
When: 29/06/2018-30/06/2018
Where: Praia do Aterro Norte, Matosinhos
Price: 22€ (daily ticket) and 32€ (full festival ticket); available here
EDP beach party, one of the biggest beach parties in Europe, it will welcome some of the best DJS for two days of electronic music. Steve Aoki, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Martin Jensen are just a few of the performers that will help you end your month in the best way possible.
Are you excited about Primavera Sound and all the other festivals in Porto? Let us know in the comment section!
