Inside Algarve Magazine – Algarve News

Category: Events

  • Local Artist Tara Bongard is exhibiting her works in Portimão

    Local Artist Tara Bongard is exhibiting her works in Portimão

    The ‘Life Lines’ exhibition will be presented until January 2

    – December 12, 2023
    Local Artist Tara Bongard is exhibiting her works in Portimão with 'Life Lines’ exhibition
    Artist Tara Bongard

    A new exhibition titled ”Life Lines” by local artist Tara Bongard is on display at Casa Manuel Teixeira Gomes in Portimão.

    The exhibition showcases Tara’s most recent graphite drawings of nature in the Algarve and runs until January 2.

    About the artist

    Tara Bongard was born in London, England, but her roots are Anglo-Portuguese, having spent childhood between England and Portugal. After finishing her studies in England, she continued her passion for drawing throughout her travels in America, Central America, Turkey and the Middle East. Settling In Israel for 10 years, she apprenticed in woodwork and then glass painting and fusing, returning to live permanently in Portugal in 2005.                                                                      

    Tara says her works are ”deeply inspired by nature”, with pieces which range ”from decorative to functional”.

    In solidarity and support to the firefighters of Monchique, who “keep our Algarve hills safe”, 20% of the sales from the exhibition will be reverting to Bombeiros Voluntários de Monchique as ”every little thing counts”, according to the artist.

    For more information, contact www.studiobongard.com via +351 924 220 574 / 968362930 or follow on Instagram.

    Local-Artist-Tara-Bongard-is-exhibiting-her-works-in-Portimao-with-Life-Lines-exhibition
  • Lagos New Year’s festivities promise two nights of concerts

    Lagos New Year’s festivities promise two nights of concerts

    Four artists confirmed to perform on the two last nights of 2023

    – December 12, 2023

    Lagos’ Praça do Infante will bring two concerts to say goodbye to 2023, as the borough’s New Year’s programme has recently been unveiled.

    On December 30, the iconic Portuguese rock band GNR will take to the stage, followed by DJ Miguel Simões.

    And on New Year’s Eve, December 31, Portuguese duo Calema and DJ TobyOne will perform.

    The main performances will begin at 10.30pm, while the DJ sets will start after midnight.

    To welcome 2024, a fireworks show is also planned.

    Article originally published by Michael Bruxo.
  • Portimão’s Christmas Season is in full swing

    Portimão’s Christmas Season is in full swing

    This year’s Christmas parade in Portimão has been a success and many more events are to follow until the end of the holiday season

    – December 7, 2023 | Text & Photos Beatriz Maio
    Photo by Beatriz Maio

    Over 100 people took part in a Christmas parade to mark the start of the festive season in Portimão on Friday (December 1).

    Led by Santa and Mrs. Claus, the parade also featured a wide range of colourful Christmas characters brought to life by actors, dancers and musicians.

    Photo by Beatriz Maio

    The parade started at the old fish market building (Lota), where the town’s ‘Toy Factory’ is located, and continued towards the Manuel Teixeira Gomes square, where Santa’s House was inaugurated.

    The parade then proceeded towards Alameda, where a 200sqm ice rink is set up, along with the Christmas Stage where live music performances are held and the immersive LED Planetarium, the big novelty of the town’s Christmas entertainment this year.

    Photo by Beatriz Maio

    Filipa Goulart, an Azorean who lived in Portimão for 20 years, takes part as a dancer every year in Portimão’s festive entertainment, which she describes as “something wonderful that gives everyone the opportunity to experience the magic of Christmas, through lighting, decorations and entertainment, all for free”.

    “Children love seeing the arrival of Santa Claus, and parents too,” the dancer said, praising the local council for putting together an entertainment programme that “offers diversity with parades, shows, and activities that lead to many smiles”.

    Photo by Beatriz Maio

    There are several activities included in this year’s festive programme, entitled ‘Portimão – Um Sonho de Natal’ (Portimão – A Christmas Dream), for both children and adults. Running until January 6, the programme features more than 50 shows and 30 spots around the borough which have been decorated with Christmas lights, including the local shopping streets, Largo da Mó, Alameda, the 1º de Dezembro garden, and Manuel Teixeira Gomes square.

    Some of the highlights of the programme include the Christmas Market, which takes place at the 1º de Dezembro garden, featuring 10 stands selling local handicraft and other regional products, as well as a Christmas train which runs along the town’s central streets and a life-size nativity scene at Largo da Mó.

    The full programme is available online at https://portimaosonhodenatal.pt

  • It’s ‘Christmas Joy’ time in Silves

    It’s ‘Christmas Joy’ time in Silves

    ‘Christmas Joy’, Silves’ annual Christmas event, returns this year to Al-Mutamid Square with a wide range of festive entertainment

    – December 6, 2023 | Text Michael Bruxo

    Opening today (December 6) and running until January 7, the event will feature a ramp leading to a ball pit, a carousel, a Christmas train, mechanical animals, a Christmas market, Christmas-themed sets where visitors can take photographs, and a wide range of live performances from music to theatre.

    The event will be open every day from 2pm to 8pm, except on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve when it will close earlier at 6pm.

    Silves’ Christmas celebrations would not be complete without an appearance by Santa Claus, who will be visiting Armação de Pêra’s fortress on December 9 at 3pm and the Al-Mutamid square in Silves on December 16 at 4pm.

    “Silves invites all children and families to experience the joy of Christmas, sharing unique moments and unforgettable experiences in this space marked by entertainment, colour, good humour, magic, and Christmas spirit,” it adds.

  • Lagoa to host European Cross Country Championships in 2025

    Lagoa to host European Cross Country Championships in 2025

    After a “rigorous selection process and multiple visits to the region” the European Athletics placed their trust in Lagoa

    – December 4, 2023 | Text Michael Bruxo
    Cross country (James Lee - Unsplash)
    James Lee – Unsplash

    Lagoa has been chosen to host the 31st European Cross Country Championships in December 2025.

    “Following a rigorous selection process and multiple visits to the region, European Athletics placed their trust in Portugal, specifically in Lagoa, marking Portugal’s fourth time hosting the European Cross Country Championships,” Lagoa Council says in a statement to the press after the announcement.

    “Lagoa has once again been chosen to host a major sports event, this time on a European scale, having been recognised for its ability to host and organise significant events and for the ideal conditions available in the region for sports and accommodating thousands of visitors, including teams from various participating countries, athletes’ families, members of the media, and sports enthusiasts,” it adds.

    Lagoa will become the fourth town in Portugal and second in the Algarve to host the championships, after Oeiras in 1997, Albufeira in 2010, and Lisbon in 2019.

    “This presents a fantastic opportunity for Lagoa to develop the necessary infrastructure for hosting both national and international cross-country events. The planning and construction for the 2025 European Cross Country Championships are already underway,” the council guarantees.

    Meanwhile, Lagoa Mayor Luís Encarnação has described the announcement as a moment of great satisfaction. “We have long aspired to host an event of this magnitude. It will undoubtedly be a significant challenge, but Lagoa is up to the task,” he said.

  • Rema, Asake, Ninho and J Hus to headline Afro Nation 2024

    Rema, Asake, Ninho and J Hus to headline Afro Nation 2024

    The festival will be held at Praia da Rocha, Portimão between June 26 and 28, with tickets already on sale

    – December 4, 2023 | Text Michael Bruxo

    Nigerian rapper Rema and singer Asake, French rapper Ninho and British rapper J Hus have been confirmed as the headliners of the 2024 edition of Afro Nation.

    The festival will be held at Praia da Rocha, Portimão between June 26 and 28, with tickets already on sale.

    Described as the “world’s biggest Afrobeats festival”, Afro Nation has become a staple summer festival in the Algarve, attracting thousands of people from all over the world to Portimão.

    Last year, the festival attracted over 40,000 revellers from 140 countries, organisers said. The first edition was held in 2019, with the event being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.