September is when Lisbon collectively shakes the sand out of its Havaianas and remembers what day of the week it is. The holidays are winding down, schools are starting back up, inboxes are spilling over, and the city is slowly returning to something resembling normal life—but thankfully, nobody seems to have told Lisbon’s cultural calendar. There’s still plenty happening, from open-air music and cinema to horror films, orchestral performances, photography, puppetry, LEGO, jazz, markets, ceramics, and one very large Communist Party festival.
So while September may bring the return of routines, it doesn’t have to mean the end of summer fun. In fact, with cooler evenings, fewer tourists, and a city teeming with people emerging from the holiday haze, it might just be one of the best months to get back out there and see what Lisbon has been up to while we were away.
Sept 3 to 13 | FILM FESTIVAL | MOTELX | Cinema São Jorge & Cinemateca Portuguesa | Various times | Pricing TBA
If your idea of a good night at the cinema involves things lurking in the shadows, MOTELX is back to make September considerably more unsettling. Lisbon’s much-loved horror festival has been bringing the best of international genre cinema, while championing Portugal’s emerging horror filmmakers, to Cinema São Jorge since 2006. Expect everything from feature films and shorts to retrospectives, documentaries, and family-friendly frights, plus workshops, masterclasses, concerts, and parties. Basically, all the ingredients for a perfectly creepy few days (and nights). Read more and see the full program here.
Sept 4, 5, and 6 | FESTIVAL | Festa do Avante! | Quinta da Atalaia | Various times | 32 – 50€
If you’ve never been to Festa do Avante!, prepare for something that’s rather difficult to categorize. Part political gathering, part music festival, part village fair, and part three-day cultural marathon, this annual event organized by the Portuguese Communist Party has been running since 1976. Expect multiple stages of live music, theatre, dance, cinema, debates, exhibitions, food, crafts, sports, children’s activities, and the inevitable political rally—all taking place at Quinta da Atalaia in Amora. It’s political with a wonderfully eclectic twist, with much of the festival built and run by volunteers. Whether you go for the music, the atmosphere, the food, or sheer curiosity, it’s certainly not your average weekend festival. Check out the lineup here and buy tickets here in advance to get the permanent entry ticket for all three days for 35€.
Sept 4 to Oct 4 | STREET FESTIVAL | Festas na Rua | Varouis locations and times | FREE
Festas na Rua brings free music, film, and performances to some of Lisbon’s most unexpected corners. Our Atlas picks include open-air cinema at Praça do Comércio and Mercado do Forno do Tijolo, DJs taking over Monsanto, an intimate Rui Massena concert in Benfica, an orchestral extravaganza by the Gulbenkian orchestra and choir, and the eccentric Lisboa Mistura and Mundu Nôbu Experience. Basically, a month-long excuse to follow the music and see where you end up. Get more information on the lineup here.
to Sept 5 | PHOTO EXHIBITION | Fotossíntese | Galeria 111 | Tue – Sat, 10h – 19h | FREE
Fotossíntese, a solo exhibition by Brazilian artist Márcia Xavier, explores the wonderfully strange similarities between our bodies and the plant world through cyanotypes, photograms, monotypes, and photographic prints. Leaves, seeds, feathers, gestures, and organic forms blur together in dreamy compositions inspired by Brazilian flora and landscapes from further afield. Expect an atmospheric meditation on light, transformation, and our rather complicated relationship with the rest of the living world. Read more here.
Sept 7, 14, 21, and 28 | ARTIST WORKSHOP | Clay Club | Prisma Estúdio | 19h – 21h | 15 – 20€
Fancy getting your hands dirty? Clay Clube offers relaxed Monday evening ceramics sessions at Prisma in Intendente, where ceramic artists Amanda and Niall guide you through different themes and techniques while leaving plenty of room for creative experimentation. For €15, everything is included—from clay and materials to firing—so you can spend a couple of hours making something with your hands rather than staring at a screen. Your creations will be ready to collect a few weeks later, assuming all goes well in the kiln. Sign up here and get more info (including other workshops) here.
Sept 12 and 26 | FLEA MARKET | Feira de Antiguidades e Velharias de Montijo | Praça da República (Montijo) | 9h – 17h | FREE
Who’s down for a little treasure hunt beyond Lisbon? The Feira de Antiguidades e Velharias de Montijo is worth the ferry ride, with antiques, bric-a-brac, vintage finds, and particularly good record bins at prices that haven’t quite caught up with Lisbon’s vintage obsession. Hop on the ferry from Cais do Sodré, spend a few hours rummaging through the stalls, and see what strange little piece of history follows you home. The market takes place on the second and last Saturday of each month. Read more here and get the ferry schedules to and from Lisbon here.
Sept 16 | CERAMICS MARKET | Praça das Flores | 10h – 16h | FREE
If you’re looking for something a little more beautiful than your average market browse, local artist Ashley O’Sheehan has organized the Lisbon Ceramics Market that brings together a rotating cast of independent ceramicists from Lisbon and beyond. Expect handmade pieces, plenty of creative talent, and a decidedly social atmosphere in Praça das Flores—where you can browse, chat, eat, drink, and perhaps leave with a new favorite mug. Click here for more information. If you’re a potential maker/seller looking for a place at the table(s), you can add your email to their mailing list and be notified when submissions open for the next one—the big Christmas market.
to Sept 27 | PUPPET EXHIBITION | Puppet Makers in Portugal in the 21st Century | Marionette Museum | Tue – Sun, 10h – 18h | 5€
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Criadores de Marionetas em Portugal no Século XXI takes a peek behind the curtain at the artists reinventing puppetry in Portugal. Alongside finished puppets, you’ll find sketches, materials, and ingenious construction techniques, revealing how traditional craftsmanship is being mixed with new materials, shapes, and ideas. A charming look at an art form that is considerably more inventive—and occasionally more sophisticated—than you might expect. And if you want to go on the guided tour, there’s one on Sept 12 from 11h to 12h (for 6€). Get tickets here.
to Oct 11 | ART EXHIBITION | Terra Crua | MAC/CCB | Tue – Sun, 10h – 18h30 | FREE
If you thought dirt was just something to kick off your shoes, think again. This exhibition digs into the surprisingly sophisticated world of raw earth as a building material, exploring how soil, local knowledge, and traditional construction techniques could help shape a more sustainable future for Portuguese architecture. With scientific and historical material, prototypes, case studies, and experiments using excavated earth from Lisbon building sites, it makes a compelling case for looking beneath our feet—and rethinking what we build our cities with. Read more here.
to Jan 10 | FAMILY FRIENDLY EXHIBIT | The Largest Lego Models Exposition in Europe | Cordoaria Nacional | 11 – 12€
LEGO isn’t just something you step on barefoot at 7am followed by artistic linguistics. The Cordoaria Nacional is hosting Europe’s largest LEGO® exhibition, spread across a whopping 2,000m² and featuring more than 120 models made from nearly 15 million bricks. Expect everything from an almost life-sized Boeing 747 and medieval dragon to Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, famous landmarks, dinosaurs, and full portraits of historical figures. There’s also a hands-on Fun Zone for aspiring master builders, making this one for LEGO obsessives of all ages. Get tickets here.