The 2025 edition kicks off next Friday with the show “Nu Meio – Bailão,” by Filipa Francisco and Bruno Cochat, at Praça Visconde Serra do Pilar.
The performance, which combines dance and theater with humorous irony of a Portuguese couple’s relationship, marks the beginning of three months of cultural entertainment in the city’s historic center and various parishes in the municipality.
The press release states the festival offers a program “for all tastes and ages,” highlighting the in.Circo cycle, which brings new circus shows and visual performances, and in.Tradição, featuring itinerant ethnographic animation by the Inatel Foundation.
In the circus arena, the lineup includes performances like “Calor” by Kikolas, inspired by the lives of homeless people, and “Drak Flama,” a visual parade with articulated dragons and fire effects by the Spanish company Teatrapo Producciones.
The in.Tradição cycle, driven by the Inatel Foundation, brings itinerant ethnographic animation to the historic center on Saturday mornings, with folk groups from the Santarém region and other parts of the country.
In theater, the play “Wenceslau Pinto — A Maestro in Vale de Santarém” pays tribute to the conductor and composer who influenced 20th-century Portuguese music, with performances in Pernes, Póvoa da Isenta, and Vale de Santarém.
The film schedule takes place on Wednesdays at Teatro Sá da Bandeira, featuring films such as “The Red Island” by Robin Campillo, “Joan Baez — The Song is a Weapon,” and “Eraserhead” by David Lynch. Admission is free or at symbolic prices.
Program highlights include the Festival Rock da Velha with bands like Sinistro, Mandra, and Etérea, the multimedia show “NUMB,” reflecting on social apathy, and a concert by Rita Redshoes with the Alcanes Philharmonic Society Band.
The program also includes outdoor yoga classes, exhibitions, guided tours, concerts, and puppet shows, featuring both national and international artists.
Entry is free for most activities, except for some ticketed events.
