January in Lisbon is that tricky stretch where the tinsel starts coming down, leaving some residual sparkle in the air. From the last batches of mulled wine in Parque Eduardo VII to percussive Cape Verdean beats in Bairro Alto, the season’s merriment and brilliance echo on.
Tiptoe through contemporary dance exploring home and memory, sketch your way into a new and colorful community, or sneak into a dark cinema to have Hitchcock give you the willies to get the flavor of Lisbon in January — artistic explosions, operatic madness, and dancing pirates await.
Jan 1 | ORCHESTRA CONCERT | New Year’s Concert | CCB | 11h and 17h | 7 – 35€
When “The Blue Danube” premiered in 1867, it crowned Strauss the OG pop star — and sparked the New Year’s Concert tradition we still dress up for today. This year’s CCB’s program pairs Strauss’s irresistible elegance with the sweeping romance of Tchaikovsky and a dash of European flair, designed to send us into 2026 lighter on our feet and full of promise. A refined, festive way to welcome the year — and with tickets moving fast, one worth securing now. Get tickets here.
to Jan 4 | CHRISTMAS FAIR & MARKET | Wonderland Lisboa | Parque Eduardo VII | FREE
Wonderland Lisboa is in its final days at Parque Eduardo VII, closing out a decade as one of Lisbon’s most dependable festive traditions. This year strikes a good balance: rides for kids and adults alike, a solid food offering, and no shortage of mulled wine or hot chocolate. Entry is free, the atmosphere is easy and cheerful, and even a quick walk-through feels like a worthwhile dose of Christmas before it all wraps up. Find out more here.
Jan 3 – Jan 24 | CLASSICAL BALLET | Swan Lake | Coliseu dos Recreios | 37 – 47€
The Tchaikovsky National Ballet leans into tradition, pairing elegant restraint with sumptuous costumes and stagecraft that magnifies the line, the music, and the drama of this classic ballet. At its heart is everything that makes the ballet endure: a cursed swan, a doomed prince, and Tchaikovsky’s score doing what it does best — breaking hearts beautifully. A timeless classic, danced with conviction, and always worth seeing live. Get your tickets here.
Jan 12 | DRAWING MEETUP | Lisbon Drawing Club | Teatro Romano | 19h | FREE
If 2026 is the year you actually stick to your creative habits, Lisbon Drawing Club is a good place to start. These weekly live model sessions are about showing up, sharpening your eye, and learning by doing. Founded on inclusion, curiosity, and a healthy dose of fun, the club brings together a diverse mix of models, artists, and locals across Lisbon’s cultural spaces. Why not give it a shot? Find out more here.
Jan 15 | CONCERT | Batucadeiras Finka Pé and Aho Ssan | Teatro Bairro Alto | 19h30 | 3 – 17€
Batucadeiras Finka Pé bring the raw, percussive power of Cape Verdean batuque to the stage — drums, clapping, and voices turned into rhythm. Sharing the bill, Paris-based electronic composer Aho Ssan delivers a starkly modern counterpoint. Read more here.
Jan 18 | DANCE WORKSHOP | Dancing on the City | Pimenta Palace | 3€
This workshop invites you to move through the city — and through history — using the body as a space of freedom, memory, and creation. Inspired by the life of Valentim de Barros, Portugal’s first internationally acclaimed ballet dancer, the session blends movement, identity, and remembrance. Silenced for decades by prejudice, his story is reclaimed here through dance, transforming Pimenta Palace into a place of resistance, expression, and quiet defiance. Find more info here.
Jan 18 | DANCE FOR KIDS | Peter Pan | Teatro Ibérico | 17h | 10€
Hook-handed pirates, aggressive fairies, flying children in pajamas, and mischievous lost boys come together to perform J.M. Barrie’s classic tale of Peter Pan through the lens of contemporary dance. Audiences of all ages (unless you’re under the age of three) are invited to stop growing up over the course of an hour and see how it all pans out. Get tickets here.
Jan 22 – 25 | CONTEMPORARY BALLET | CASA | Capitólio | Thu – Sat, 21h and Sun, 16h | 13€
Home is shelter, memory, and saudade. With this program, the Portuguese Contemporary Ballet Company (CPBC) turns its studio into a space to explore how this applies to dance through the work of six choreographers. The evening also marks the launch of CPBC’s Route of Small Stages, a new initiative bringing contemporary dance closer to new audiences, and asking a simple, resonant question: where — and what — is home? Get tickets here.
to Jan 31 | FILM RETROSPECTIVE | Alfred Hitchcock | Cinema Nimes | 5 – 8€
The man, the myth, the legend is taking over Nimas until the end of the month in the largest retrospective in Portugal since 1982 — 37 films made between 1929 and 1972, to be exact. From Psycho and Vertigo to Rear Window, North by Northwest, and To Catch a Thief, you can get a double dose of all your favorites if you play your cards right. See the full list of films here.
to March 1 | ART EXHIBITION | Vhils Selected Editions 2008 – 24 | MUDE Museum | 10h – 18h/20h | 11 – 15€
Dive into a selection of explosive work by Lisbon’s favorite urban artist Alexandre Farto a.k.a.Vhils that focuses on his new love of clay tiles, and his past experimentation and collaboration with artists, designers, and architects from across the globe. You’ve got time on this one, though, as it will run until March. Read more here.
Photo by Patricia Imbarus
