In a year marked by a change in the executive leadership of Coimbra’s City Council, the municipality has opted to concentrate the New Year’s Eve programming into a single night, diverging from the previous four-day celebration for technical reasons rather than political ones, according to the city council’s vice-president, Miguel Antunes.
Dora Santana, head of the Major Events Office at the Coimbra city council, noted that “the analysis of hotel capacity showed that the demand for the first three days [prior to December 31st] did not meet expectations, with the peak occurring on the 31st,” resulting in an insignificant return.
The lineup to usher in 2026 includes ten performances across four stages, featuring 28 artists, 18 of whom are from Coimbra.
“This is a more daring, contemporary lineup, with greater diversity of styles and a clear focus on local artists,” emphasized Miguel Antunes during the program’s presentation held at Convento São Francisco in Coimbra.
The municipal investment amounts to 332,000 euros, “a significantly lower amount” compared to 2024, stated the vice-president.
Despite the focus on a single-day event, Miguel Antunes affirmed that it is “a dynamic event,” allowing for the possibility of extending it over multiple days in the future.
Dino D’Santiago is scheduled to perform at 00:15 on January 1st, and Branko at 22:30 on December 31st, both at Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha, while MXGPU, a project that includes Moullinex and GPU Panic, will take the stage at Praça do Comércio at 01:45 on January 1st.
The night will also feature performances by Club Banditz, marking their first show since the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as DJ Fabior, DJ Miguel Rendeiro, and Ruze.
The Praça 8 de Maio will host ‘world dance music’ on a 360º stage, while Quebra-Costas will showcase jazz and rock from Coimbra.
The fireworks display is set to begin at midnight over the Mondego River, between the Pedro e Inês and Santa Clara bridges, lasting ten minutes.
