The itinerant festival commences with two days of programming in Montemor-o-Velho (Friday and Saturday), followed by Valença (Sunday and Monday), Vila Nova de Cerveira (11th), Paredes de Coura (12th and 13th), Caminha (14th), and Arcos de Valdevez (15th and 16th).
“This is a festival dedicated to improvised and experimental music, with different offerings in municipalities where such entertainment is usually unavailable in their theaters and cultural spaces,” said Sofia Pancada, a member of the Space Festival’s organization committee, in an interview.
The initiative, now in its 10th edition and embracing a traveling format since 2022, presents a variety of performances across different genres and employs a broad range of instruments, from the most classical to the unconventional and electronic. The festival also aims to balance showcasing acclaimed artists alongside emerging talents.
“The intent is to ensure a laid-back schedule, allowing attendees to dine at local restaurants and secure lodging. It is not a single-venue festival and seeks to promote respectful tourism within the communities,” explained Sofia Pancada.
The festival’s array of events includes the Omnispectrum audiovisual performance in Montemor-o-Velho, which transports audiences to the Atacama Desert, a concert by duo Calcutá and Maria Amaro at the Centro Cultural de Verdoejo (Valença), a percussion performance by Luís Bittencourt utilizing barrels and plastic bags at the Museu Bienal de Cerveira, a concert in Capela do Espírito Santo (Paredes de Coura) featuring German Almut Kühne with Portuguese João Pedro Brandão and Marcos Cavaleiro, a chamber quartet tellKujira performance in Caminha swapping violins for electric guitars, and a concert by Krake (Pedro Oliveira) at Parque de Merendas de Miranda (Arcos de Valdevez) following a hike.
The festival offers free admission, with participants encouraged to make voluntary donations.
Organized by the Rock’n’Cave association in partnership with Space Ensemble, the Space Festival receives support from the Directorate-General for the Arts and the participating municipalities.
The complete program can be accessed here.
