The 21st Lusofonia Festival offers a diversified programme of activities. It is a festival celebrating culture, gastronomy, music and dance shows, with fun and games for all ages. Organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and co-organized by the Macao Government Tourism Office and the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, it takes place from 19th to 21st October, at the Taipa Houses.
The first edition of the Lusofonia Festival was held in 1998, and it was held alongside a programme of activities celebrating the Portuguese National Day on 10 June to honor Portuguese-speaking community residents in Macao for their contribution to the city’s development. Over the years it has gained such popularity that it’s become one of the greatest events on the cultural calendar of Macau.
The programme of this edition of the Festival is as diversified as in previous years. Different booths of Macao Portuguese-speaking communities from ten countries or regions, namely Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Goa, Daman and Diu, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Macao and East Timor, will be set up, introducing their countries or regions’ traditional music, photographs, arts and crafts, costumes, literature and gastronomy, thereby injecting vitality in the Lusofonia Festival and allowing visitors to get to know in-depth the Portuguese-speaking countries and regions’ rich cultures.
During each day of the Festival, three groups from nine Portuguese-speaking countries and regions will perform different styles of music and dance on a stage built at the Taipa Houses Amphitheatre. Several local art groups will also perform on this stage, on another stage, namely at the Carmo Square, there will be soft music performances by local groups, daily from 7:30pm. The public can enjoy music in a relaxed atmosphere while experiencing Portuguese-inspired gastronomy and delicacies. In addition, a temporary restaurant serving Portuguese flavour and dishes (namely typical Portuguese grilled food and specialties from the various Portuguese-speaking regions) will be available.
In terms of recreation, visitors of all ages can participate in traditional Portuguese games and table football tournaments, as well as experience the sensations of the Guia Circuit through a Macau Grand Prix Simulator; while children can take photographs and take pony rides, as well as participate in various children’s games. A radio station will be installed on site to broadcast Portuguese music throughout the day. On Friday, the festival takes place from 7:00pm to 10:00pm, Saturday happens from 12:00pm to 11:00pm, and Sunday, between 12:00pm and 10:00pm.
When: Friday–Sunday, October 19–October 21, 2018
Where: Taipa Houses, Avenida da Praia, Carmo Zone, Taipa
How much: Free admission
For more information, visit the event’s official page.
