More than 80 artists, bands, and projects are set to perform at the festival, which this year extends over four days, from September 4 to 7, instead of the usual three. This “major new feature of the edition” was highlighted by Vasco Sacramento, director of the promoting company Sons em Trânsito, during a statement in Lisbon.
“The additional day [which falls on a Sunday and is a municipal holiday in Faro] allows us to expand the range of offerings we can cover at the festival, providing an even more diverse program and creating an unprecedented comprehensive snapshot of Portuguese music,” stated the promoter while presenting the festival’s lineup in Lisbon.
As the festival marks its 10th edition, the organization has decided to “reflect on past editions,” featuring “artists who have left a significant impact on F,” such as Diogo Piçarra, Pedro Abrunhosa, and the ‘Revenge of the 90s’ event, “which strongly marked two editions.”
Additionally, new artists will debut at F, which Vasco Sacramento sees as “a further demonstration of the vitality Portuguese music has achieved,” citing Os Quatro e Meia and Luís Represas as examples.
“We have artists who previously performed on smaller stages and this year they will grace the Sagres stage, our largest platform. Such is the case for Mizzy Miles, Sara Correia, and Bispo. This achievement delights us as it fulfills one of the festival’s missions,” he remarked.
On the final day, September 7, the program will start earlier and be “specifically dedicated to a child and youth audience,” a novel aspect of the festival.
“F is very much a family festival, and we believe this will be a successful initiative, with performances by Nina Toc Toc, Chinfrim, a Rita Redshoes project, Caju e Bambu, and storytelling sessions,” he said.
The vice-president of the Faro City Council, which co-organizes the festival, also emphasized the extra day, “featuring more affordable ticket prices and a lineup aimed at everyone, particularly families.”
Paulo Santos highlighted another innovation in this edition: the introduction of a mobile app “with a gamification component, allowing for a personalized festival experience.”
The inaugural Festival F took place in 2014 over two days. Since then, the number of days, the audience size, and the festival’s footprint in the city have grown.
“Initially, we occupied about a third of Vila Adentro, the historical center of Faro. Over the years, we expanded to occupy the entire Vila Adentro and even beyond. The main stage is now outside the walls, as it was the only way to meet the increasing demand we’ve experienced over the years,” recalled Vasco Sacramento.
The venue originally accommodated about five thousand people per day; now, it can host roughly 24 thousand attendees.
“We’ve been fortunate to experience a time of diverse, high-quality national production, with an ever-growing audience. We host more Portuguese artist performances throughout the year, with packed venues, even at the country’s largest, the MEO Arena. The surge in Portuguese music is evident, and F is a result of this growth,” noted Vasco Sacramento.
The audience is still predominantly from the Algarve and Alentejo regions, “but there is a rising number of attendees from the rest of the country each year,” with a clear prevalence from Lisbon, Setúbal, and the Tagus Valley regions, as well as “some attendees from Andalusia,” the Spanish region bordering the Algarve.
“Ticket sales location is used for monitoring. However, it’s sometimes challenging to fully understand the audience’s origin since the festival coincides with the holiday season. Tickets purchased in the Algarve may be bought by vacationers,” he explained.
This year’s festival-goers will have the opportunity to enjoy performances by artists and bands such as Bárbara Bandeira, Ana Moura, Dino D’Santiago with the Algarve Orchestra, Julinho KSD, Nenny, Buba Espinho, Mundo Segundo & Sam The Kid, Ana Bacalhau, Bateu Matou, Margarida Campelo, Amaura, Pedro da Linha, Cassete Pirata, Tara Perdida, Lena D’Água, Maria Reis, Scúru Fitchádu, and Napa, among many others, alongside those previously mentioned.
Tickets for the festival are now on sale.
A pre-sale period runs until July 31, limited to a thousand daily tickets and a thousand four-day passes. Daily tickets cost 20 euros for September 4, 5, and 6, and eight euros for September 7. Passes are priced at 50 euros.
After July 31, daily tickets will cost 22 euros for September 4, 5, and 6, and ten euros for September 7. The general pass will be priced at 60 euros from that date.
Children up to 12 years old, inclusive, are admitted free of charge.
