Updated for 2019
“Get ready for the best week of your life” – kind of a washed-up motto, isn’t it? After all, how many music festivals have been branded as such? However, if you’re visiting Porto and heading to Queima das Fitas, then you’re about to experience the real deal! A one week festival loaded with crazy students, dirt-cheap booze, ancient academic traditions and a partying atmosphere like nowhere else in the city –guess there’s only one thing to say: Get ready for the best week of your life!
QUEIMA DAS FITAS – WHAT IS IT?
Translated as the “Burning of the Ribbons”, the Queima das Fitas started as a small farewell celebration for graduating medicine college students. However, as years progressed and proper college education was made available to more and more families, the tradition eventually caught up with other universities, and nowadays every city with a major student community organizes its very own version of the Queima das Fitas (though some may call it by a different name). In Porto, new students are given paper ribbons with the colour of their degree (in Portugal every university course is associated with a particular colour) for them to tie around their workbooks. By the end of the graduation, these ribbons are then burned by the student as a symbolic end to yet another chapter in his/her life – hence the celebration’s name.
However, as heart-warming as this tradition might be, that’s where all the innocent fun stops! The real fun will take place on the week between the 5th and the 11th of May, where you’ll definitely want to check the seemingly non-stop student activities, a huuuuuge parade that puts the entire city on hold, and of course, a crazy music festival where ironically music is what matters least.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR DURING QUEIMA DAS FITAS
THE MONUMENTAL SERENADE
Photo by: 123RF/dimaberkut
This is how it all starts! Taking place when the clock strikes midnight on the 5th of May, hundreds of black-caped students gather at Avenida dos Aliados to celebrate the start of Queima das Fitas. This is also usually the most emotional moment of the week, with the dim lights, the fado singers and the guitar strings warning senior students that this important chapter of their lives is coming to an end. One that they’ll miss deeply…who the hell is cutting onions??
THE PARADE
Photo by: 123RF/dimaberkut
During the Queima das Fitas week in Porto, Tuesday is ALWAYS parade day! That means you simply won’t be able to escape the crazy crowds on the 7th of May! We’re talking about thousands (and thousands) of people, flocking to the city centre to see the students parading, screaming, chanting and defending their college’s colours. This is also widely considered the craziest day in Queima das Fitas, with Portuguese singer Quim Barreiros (fb page) performing in the festival later at night (his 31st consecutive year doing it on the parade day). If you’ve never heard of him, he’s basically the king of puns and sexual innuendos in song lyrics, with popular hits that tell how much he enjoys parking in his neighbour’s garage or smell his wife’s codfish (when she’s cooking that is!). You won’t be able to understand him but at least you can join in on the party!
THE MUSIC FESTIVAL
Photo courtesy of: porto.pt
Ask any local student and they will all tell you the same thing: no one cares about music at Queima das Fitas! And who can judge them? With vodka shots and beer at 0,50€/unit (and that’s if you’re not a good haggler), you could even throw a chicken at the stage and people would still give it a standing ovation! It’s all about the drinking, the partying and the amazing interaction between students that make these nights absolutely unforgettable. However, don’t get us wrong: some big names in the Portuguese music scene usually pop up at Queima das Fitas – and this year will be no exception! For 7 consecutive nights, artists such as as David Carreira, Richie Campbell, David Fonseca and Rui Veloso will grace the Queima das Fitas’ stage. Tickets can be bought directly at the Queimódromo, the precinct where the concerts take place in the City Park, although you’ll want to take care of it some days in advance since queues tend to get pretty long.
CRAZY STUDENTS
Photo by: 123RF/dimaberkut
Oh trust us, there is no way you’ll miss them! Porto has a very present and loud student community all year-round, but Queima das Fitas is a whole different ball game. Whether you find them screaming their lungs out during the parade, crying helplessly at the Monumental Serenade or just plain piss drunk during one of the concert nights, by the end of the week you’ll be wishing you had studied in Porto (and certain that you’ll never let your kids do so!).
Every Porto student has a ludicrous story to tell about some crazy Queima das Fitas night. Why don’t you come and collect some memories too? Share your thoughts on the comments section!
Antes de mais, parabéns pelo artigo, gostei bastante. Sou estudante do ISCAP e apaixonado pelas tradições Académicas, e por isso não pude deixar de notar um erro um pouco grave no texto. A Queima das Fitas ganhou o seu nome devido à queima do Grelo. O Grelo é a insígnia que o estudante impõe, em maior parte das casas, no fim do 3o Ano de licenciatura, impondo depois as fitas no final do 1o ano de mestrado. O grelo são 2 fitas com cerca de 2,5m cada que ficam à volta da Pasta, terminando em laço. Laço este que, tradicionalmente, era queimado para dar lugar às fitas referidas no texto. Portanto, não, as fitas não são queimadas.
Hi Amorim, thank you for reaching out, we are happy to hear that you’ve enjoyed the post! About the text, thank you for catching that for us -did I mention we have the smartest readers!?- we have since made the changes. Feel free to share any other feedback you might have with us. And if you wish you can message us directly at hello@oportoblog.com Have a great week-end!!