Events Calendar

To book any ticket or get additional information about the updated event calendar please contact our Concierge.

Click here for the next two month's up-to-date Concierge's suggestions.

International Festival of Classic Guitar, February-March
This yearly festival brings to Lisbon great virtuosos of the classic guitar.

Sailing: The King Juan Carlos' Cup, March-April
Cascais has always been a favourite haunt of the Spanish royal family. They lived here for a time and this competition, held here annually in March/April, is named after King Juan Carlos. The event consists of a number of International Dragon Class regattas and is a sporting event of major national and international importance.

Festival of the Trays, Easter 2007
The Festival of the Trays takes place every four years and it is a truly unique event. The blessing of the trays, the street decorations, the quilts in the windows and the throwing of flowers over the procession of the trays carried by hundreds of young girls on their heads, is an unforgettable sight.

International Independent Film Festival, April
A privileged event to meet the most recent and interesting works of independent cinema from all over the world. The main aim of the Festival is to discover new films and new directors, in the universe of independent cinema.

International Bridge Tournament, April
Hundreds of top ranking Portuguese and international bridge players gather on the Estoril Coast and compete for the Grand International Bridge Prize.

World Amateur Golf Festival,  April-May
A 10-day festival of golf at several Costa Azul and Estoril-Sintra courses. Apart from the golf, there is an exciting social programme for both participants and their non-playing partners.

Tennis Estoril Open,  May 
The ATP/WTA Estoril Open opens the clay court competition season. Every year, some of the best tennis players in the world take part in this competition. The winner in 2000 was Carlos Maya and in 2001 Juan Carlos Ferrero.The first two days are qualifying rounds and after that the main draw takes place.

Bullfighting Opening Season at the Campo Pequeno, May-September
The 10,000-seater Campo Pequeno is one of the largest bullrings in the world, with an impressive Moorish architecture and a dazzling calendar of corridas and bullfighting events. From May to September, there are corridas every Thursday.

Cascais Sailing Week, June
The Estoril Coast Tourist Board sponsors every year a Sailing Week in Cascais Bay. This is a major event in a sport at which Portugal excels at international level.

Guincho Wave Contest, June
The Guincho Wave Contest - Estoril 2006, is a part of the PWA Circuit - Professional Windsurfers Association, has a world class status and focuses on the best professional windsurfing sailors of all times. The event is disputed accordingly with the rules of “Wave Performance”, one of the most competitive and followed by the media disciplines in this sport. It combines the creativity and the technique of the competitors in an event of single discipline, reflecting what has been done best, sports wise, in the world.

Lisbon Festivities, 12-30 June
Lisbon celebrates the Festas dos Santos Populares (Feast Days of the Popular Saints) by decorating the city. Barely a street escapes as paper lanterns, streamers and coloured lights are hung from balconies and railings. As a symbol of affection people present each other with little pots of basil and paper carnations on which they write poems to each other. There are parades in each district and everywhere there is music and dancing. In the evening make your way up to the Alfama, where sardines are grilled outside the houses and the narrow streets fill with people in the party mood. There is a big parade on the night of the 12 June for St Antonio which makes its way along the Avenida da Liberdade. The old quarters of Alfama and Mouraria are particularly busy and celebrations continue until dawn. 

Sintra Music Festival, June-August
The idyllic town of Sintra (Unesco's World Heritage) welcomes one of Portugal’s most emblematic festivals, with the presence of great international names of classical dance and music. At the refined and welcoming atmosphere, the dance performances take place at the Olga Cadaval Cultural Centre and the musical shows, besides the Cultural Centre, will be set at the sceneries of the Pena Palace, the Town Palace, the Queluz Palace and the Regaleira Estate.

European Wave Freestyle Funboard Champions, June & July
Every year, the world’s best surfers come to Guincho Beach to compete in the European Championship.

Óbidos Medieval Market, July
Historical showcase in the Castle of Óbidos recreates a medieval atmosphere. There will be horse tournaments, medieval shows, and a handicrafts exhibition, as well, as a parade featuring the king and the queen.

Jazz on a Summer's Day, July
In the first fortnight of July, some of the best exponents of this very special kind of music come to our country for this event. Thousands of jazz enthusiasts flock to Cascais’ Palmela Park Auditorium for a series of jazz concerts. Both the Portuguese and international press have referred to the event as a wonderful festival in which jazz reigns supreme.  

Estoril Coast International Crafts Fair, June, July & August
Portugal’s longest established crafts fair. Every July and August, hundreds of craftspeople from all over the world set up their workshops and you can watch them model clay, paint tiles, carve wood and weave wool or linen. The International Crafts Fair is a wonderful opportunity to sample the gastronomic specialities of the various parts of Portugal and to enjoy music and folk dancing from many different places.

Capuchos Music Festival, mid July & August
The Gulbenkian Orchestra soloists perform in the spectacular cliff top setting of the “Capuchos” convent in Sintra. 20th century music, avant-garde and baroque pieces compose the program of this festival.

Estoril Music Festival, July - August
First held in 1975, the Estoril Music Festival greets the summer with five weeks of great music. Situated just 15km west of Lisbon, with some of the larger concerts taking place in the capital, it is easy to get to even if you're just visiting for a city break.

BaixAnima Street Festival, July - September
Music, dance, theatre, circus, sport and a touch of the bizarre mingle at Lisbon's summer BaixAnima festival. The flamboyant event takes place every weekend from July to September in the commercial Baixa quarter, centering on Rua Augusta. Although only in its infancy, BaixAnima(pronounced "Byshanima"), a City Council Tourism Department initiative, is already firmly fixed in the city's summer calendar.

Jazz At The Gulbenkian, August
Jazz is performed in an open-air amphitheatre set in one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe. Throughout the month this foundation provides regular concerts featuring famous names of the international jazz scene.

Estoril Coast International Dogs' Show, August
This is Portugal’s longest established, biggest and most prestigious dog show. Hundreds of dogs from both Portugal and abroad are assessed and awarded prizes by an international jury. Apart from the main events, there is also a wide variety of individual breed shows of dogs including Spaniels, Mastiffs, Dalmatians, Pointers, Portuguese Water Dogs, Collies and Greyhounds. This takes place in the second fortnight of August.

Portugal's Motorcycle Grand Prix, September
Apart from playing host to many national and international competitions, the Estoril Autodrome is the venue for the Portuguese Motorcycle Grand Prix. This is held annually in September and there are races for 125cc, 250 cc and E 500 cc machines. An opportunity to see the very best on two wheels.

Great World Orchestras, October-May
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation host every year the most famous orchestras from all over the world.

São Carlos National Theatre Opera Season, November to June
Every year, from November to June, there is Opera season in Lisbon. São Carlos is the main opera house in Lisbon. It was opened on July 30, 1793 by queen Maria I of Portugal. The interior, inspired by La Scala, has a rococo style and 1148 seats. The theatre is located in the historical center of Lisbon, in the Pombaline district, near Chiado. The first opera presented was Rossini's Tancredi, starting the 1815 season.

International Golf Week, November
Golf is one of the sports for which Portugal is best known abroad. The Coast of Estoril and Sintra, with its 9 superb golf courses, has played a major part in creating this good reputation. The golf schedule includes a number of tournaments and this is one of the best. 

National Horse Fair, November
The National Horse Fair in Golegã, known until 1972 as the Saint Martin's Fair, is the best of its kind in Portugal. It still takes place in conjunction with the saint's celebrations, when bulls are run through the town and there is a parade of red-waistcoated grooms. The main event focuses on equestrian activities, with competitions, games, exhibitions and parades at the fairground and around the town. The festival is divided into different competitions: the Horse Driving Competition, which consists of Dressage, Marathon and Cones with horse and carriage; the Endurance Ride Competition; Showjumping; Gymkana for juniors; the Portuguese Horsemanship Competition; the National Dressage Competition; the Three- and Four-Years-Old Competitions; the National Competition of Working Horses; the Horse Driving Derby and Team Cross Country. In addition there are traditional parades of riders and carriages, and the Portuguese Traditional Riding School Show. No Portuguese fair would be complete without local and national gastronomy. This is a popular festival and it's worth booking accommodation in advance.