Updated June 2019
Music festivals are springing up left, right, and center in Portugal. And in place of mud, rain, and wellies, there is sun, surf, and multinational sponsorship. Forget the headliners, it’s time to chose whether you fancy Meo, Sumol, Vodafone, or maybe even Galp? Whatever your thing is, here are some of the biggest, best, or simply best-known festivals of Portugal.
March (to the beat of your own drummer)
MIL – Lisbon International Music Network | March 27 to 29 | Lisboa
More than just a festival, MIL is like the musical Mecca with talks, workshops, and, of course, gigs. The acts are spread all over the city in the usual music venues, like Musicbox. The lineup is too large to list (and certainly to see), but check it out on MIL’s site.
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ID No Limits | March 29 to 30 | Estoril
If you just can’t wait for summer, get your festival-fix early with this mix of “electronic and urban music.” Held just outside of Lisbon in the fancy neighborhood of Estoril, the lineup includes Little Dragon, IAMDDB, Madlib, ARCA, Kamaal Williams, Moullinex, Dino D’Santiago-Vessel w/Live AV Pedro Maia, DJ Nigga Fox, and more.
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June (is never too soon to hear a good tune)
NOS Primavera Sound | June 6 to 8 | Porto
NOS has dug up an incredible lineup for this year’s festival, with the likes of Courtney Barnett, Kate Tempest, Jarvis Cocker, Dino D’Santiago, Nina Kraviz, and many more. Set in the outskirts of beautiful Porto, it’s a great excuse to get out of Lisbon and party it up in a different city.
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EDP Beach Party | June 28 to 29 | Matosinhos
Electronic music in Portugal sponsored by an energy company? What more do you need to know? Ok, fine. The lineup includes Marshmello, Vini Vici, Quintino, Da Tweekaz, and more. The two-day pass is only 31€, so it’s pretty good value for the money.
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July (always tell the truth even when July)
Sumol Summer Fest | July 5 to 6 | Ericeira
Young Thug, Brockhampton, Holly Hood, They, Kappa Jota, and more will be descending on the famed surf town of Ericeira for Sumol’s yearly festival. Two days of music and camping just half a kilometer from the beach sounds like a pretty good way to spend your weekend.
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NOS Alive | July 11 to 13 | Oeiras
This three-day festival is one of the most well known in the country, pulling in big acts from around the world. This year’s headliners include the Cure, Vampire Weekend, the Smashing Pumpkins, Bon Iver, the Chemical Brothers, and a whole host of other great bands.
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Super Bock Super Rock | July 18 to 20 | Meco
Another of the big Portuguese festivals, it got a lot of stick in 2018 for its venue in Parque das Nações, which you can read all about here! This year, to the relief of everyone, it returns to Meco and will host some great acts such as Lana Del Rey, The 1975, Disclosure (DJ set), and Superorganism.
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Festival Músicas do Mundo | July 18 to 27 | Sines
They say the world is at your feet. What they fail to mention is that your feet first need to be in Sines. Luckily, it’s only a few hours south of Lisbon and is a pretty cool place to be. The lineup includes Antibalas (USA), Chico César (Brazil), Dino D’Santiago (Portugal), Inner Circle (Jamaica), JP Bimeni (Burundi / UK), Kokoroko (UK), LaBrassBanda (Germany), Ladysmith Black Mambazo (South Africa), Lucibela (Cape Verde), and many others.
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Marés Vivas 2019 | July 19 to 21 | Vila Nova de Gaia
Who likes Sting? Everyone likes Sting! And that’s why he is headlining this festival just outside of Porto. Other Artists include Morcheeba, Keane, Ornatos Violeta, Snow Patrol, and more.
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Summer Opening | July 19 to 21 | Funchal
David Fonseca, Blaya, Profjam, Papillion, and Resistencia are just some of the artists you can see at this three-day event. Pitched as “music and nature,” this festival is a great excuse to get out to the city of Funchal on the island of Madeira.
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August (when it’s often too hot to be funny)
MEO Sudoeste | August 6 to 10 | Zambujeira do Mar
Carolina Deslandes, Jimmy P, Years & Years, Steve Aoki, Post Malone, and so many more will be playing at this Alentejo-based festival. A campsite with showers, laundry, free buses to Zambujeira’s beach, and a first aid station should make for a comfortable stay, and there will also be a food area and craft fair.
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Neopop | August 7 to 10 | Viana do Castelo
Underworld! Underworld! Underworld! Ok, there will also be 2Jack4U, Amelie Lens, Ben Klock, DVS1, Lokier, Maceo Plex, Rebekah, Surgeon, the Advent, and others at this electronic music festival in gorgeous Viana do Castelo, in the north.
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Vodafone Paredes de Coura | August 14 to 17 | Praia Fluvial do Taboão
Despite their poorly-made website, this festival actually looks pretty good. The lineup includes Julia Jacklin, the National, New Order, and many others. North of Porto, Vodafone offers up another good opportunity to break out of the Lisbon bubble and explore some more of Portugal.
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Festival Forte | August 22 to 25 | Montemor-o-Novo
If you’re looking for electronic music, then look no further!* Held in an ancient castle, Festival Forte offers the chance to party like it’s 1355. Artists include Murcof + Malo Lacroix, Anthony Linell aka Abdulla Rashim, Boston 168, Christinne, Dave Clarke, Forest Drive West, Freddy K, Kr!Z, Neon Chambers (Sigha & Kangding Ray), and more.
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* That’s just a turn of phrase. Keep reading, there’s loads of other electronic music.
September (is a month to remember)
LISB-ON | September 6 to 8 | Lisboa
Another Lisbon festival, another really-hard-to-read website. Set in Parque Eduardo VII, LISB-ON is slap bang in the center of the city, which is pretty cool. Atlas has been before, so check out our review of the 2018 edition. This year the musicians include Andre Cascais, Carl Craig, Caroline Letho, Craig Richards, Octave One, and more!
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Nova Batida | September 13 to 15 | Lisboa
As the name would suggest, this festival is the new kid on the block. Organized out of London, Nova Batida had its first edition last year in the hip LX Factory, which you can read about here. Branded as “three days of music, art, and culture in the heart of Lisbon,” the acts include Four Tet, Friendly Fires, Daniel Avery, and more. One of the most expensive festivals you could choose to attend, considering the setup.
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Time Immemorial (a fancy way of saying TBA)
Super Bock em Stock | TBA | Lisboa
Another festival by our friends at Super Bock, it is essentially the last one of the year and well after the normal festival season. Like, there may actually be rain! Luckily, it is all heald inside and in the center of Lisbon, so no muddy camping or queueing in kagool. The dates and lineup for 2019 aren’t released yet, but check out our report of 2018 here.
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Boom Festival | 2020 | Idanha-a-Nova
Wait another year, you dirty psych-trance fiend, Boom will be back in 2020.
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