The City Council of Leiria has announced that the Festa do Povo will officially open on April 24 at 7:00 PM in Jardim Luís de Camões. On the same day, performances by the band LUZIA and Gisela João will take place in Largo do Papa starting at 9:30 PM.
On the evening of April 25, Carlos Alberto Moniz and Sérgio Godinho & Os Assessores are scheduled to perform. Earlier in the afternoon, the group Ninfas do Lis will sing José Afonso’s works, and the Ensemble de Metais de Leiria will present the concert ‘Acerca da Liberdade’. These events will also be held in Largo do Papa.
Additionally, on April 25 in the morning, the official ceremonies will begin at 10:00 AM with the hoisting of the National Flag at the Town Hall, accompanied by the Filarmónica do Arrabal and a contingent from Regiment of Artillery No. 4.
One hour later, Teatro Miguel Franco will host the formal session featuring institutional addresses, concluding with a performance by the Ninfas do Lis choir under the direction of conductor Mário Nascimento.
On Saturday, April 26, the city will highlight the inaugural edition of FILARFEST — the Philharmonic Festival, featuring 11 philharmonic bands from the Leiria municipality and more than 650 musicians, commencing at 6:00 PM, also at Largo do Papa.
“This initiative, promoted by the Association of Philharmonic Bands of the Leiria Municipality with municipal support, aims to emphasize the role of music as a distinctive feature of our area, while also reinforcing the significant cultural and associative importance of the philharmonic bands,” stated the City Council in a press release.
The council recalled that Leiria is recognized as a UNESCO Creative City of Music and affirmed that FILARFEST “showcases the comprehensive effort associated with the preservation, enhancement, and dissemination of this region’s musical heritage.”
The Festa do Povo will conclude on April 27 with the “premiere edition of the event ‘FOLK IN 1000’,” which features a parade and the largest traditional dance of Alta Estremadura ever performed in Leiria, involving one thousand members from folklore groups.
This moment of folklore and ethnography “intends to bring together more than a thousand participants dressed in traditional attire, culminating in the largest traditional Portuguese dance,” stated the city council.
The Festa do Povo, which also extends to Fonte Luminosa and Largo 5 de Outubro, includes various activities such as live crafts, gastronomy, itinerant performances by folklore groups, a traditional market, and poetry sessions with the Sísifus Coletivo de Expressão.
This free event marks the 51st anniversary of the April 25, 1974 Revolution, celebrating the achievement of freedom and democracy. Organized by the Municipality of Leiria in partnership with the Folklore Association of the Leiria Region — Alta Estremadura and the Association of Philharmonic Bands of the Municipality.
