“I always use a wheelchair, and I love festivals. I’ve been coming here since the beginning. It’s great to see it getting better each year, and accessibility is more considered, allowing everyone to enjoy the festival,” said Felismina Gomes at Lisbon’s Parque da Bela Vista, hosting the 4th edition of the Kalorama festival from today to Saturday.
Felismina Gomes, the national women’s paracycling champion, has a wristband for all three days, eager to see the various artists on the lineup.
An accident nine years ago led to the amputation of both her legs above the knee, necessitating a wheelchair for mobility today.
Accompanied by her daughter, who is her personal assistant and therefore received a free ticket, Gomes drove to Parque da Bela Vista, utilizing a parking area for individuals with reduced mobility. Attendants assisted her from the car to the festival grounds, she explained.
Upon arrival, she visited Total Mobility’s space, where she exchanged her wheelchair for another with an electric propulsor, enhancing her festival experience and comfort.
While acknowledging improvements, Gomes noted, “There are still rough edges to smooth out.”
“The terrain at Parque da Bela Vista is rugged and sometimes difficult, and often the booths, especially brand ones, make a ramp just for the sake of having one,” she lamented.
She also pointed out that “some bars still lack drop-down counters.”
“I know staff are trained to come outside to assist us, but having more drop-down counters would be nicer,” she remarked.
This year, Gomes does not plan to attend any other music festivals but keeps up with them, noting a progression towards better accessibility.
Alberto Fernandes, the festival’s accessibility operations manager, also a wheelchair user, expects that attendance from people with reduced mobility will surpass last year’s already impressive numbers.
“We believe we’ll exceed last year’s figures because our dedicated accessibility helpline constantly receives inquiries,” he mentioned at 7 PM near the accessibility area, where 80% of the supportive products were in use.
At the venue entrance, volunteers from a 30-member team guide potential users, “those with permanent or temporary disabilities,” to the accessibility section.
Visitors can swap their wheelchairs for “electric devices advantageous for navigating the venue.”
A small repair shop for wheelchairs is also available at this venue.
Total Mobility, responsible for this area, provides an adapted vehicle shuttling wheelchair users from Gare do Oriente to the festival and manages access to platforms in front of stages designed for people with reduced mobility.
These services are offered free of charge.
Individuals with disabilities attending the festival alone can access a free escort service, distinct from personal assistants.
In front of the two largest stages, a zone allows deaf attendees to feel the sound vibrations, with technical staff interpreting shows in Portuguese Sign Language.
Audio description services are available for blind and visually impaired attendees on platforms near the two main stages.
Moreover, the festival again offers a relaxation room for neurodivergent individuals.
The Kalorama venue opened today at 4 PM, filling up after 7 PM, as the intense Lisbon heat finally started subsiding, contributing to the delayed crowds.
Tonight’s lineup includes performances by Pet Shop Boys, The Flaming Lips, Father John Misty, Sevdaliza, L’Impératrice, Roi Perez, and 2ManyDJs, among others.
The MEO Kalorama festival runs until Saturday, featuring artists and bands like FKA Twigs, Scissor Sisters, Cíntia, Best Youth, Azealia Banks, Róisin Murphy, Kelly Lee Owens, Damiano David, Branko, Carla Prata, Jorja Smith, Yakuza, Badbadnotgood, Royel Otis, and Daniel Avery.
