World music and open-air street theatre live.

Monchique. Are we going to the village? Is this already the cultural highlight of the year or just simply the start of the season? Vamos a Vila, the annual festival in Monchique, is a must-see event if you want to get a real feel for the mountains and the products that are made in Monchique, as well as to form an impression of its inhabitants and artisans. The festival starts on the afternoon of Friday 30 May and runs throughout the weekend until the evening of Sunday 1 June: it is an outdoor event that takes place in the streets of the village. Entry is free. You don’t have to like medronho, and you’re not obliged to eat a chouriço. Vamos à Vila has a more extensive cultural programme than all of the previous festivals, and this year it will include the largest ever number of performers and bands. There will be constant musical entertainment throughout the event, offering you a variety of musical performances and a wide range of different sounds.

In addition to this event in Monchique, there will also be the MED Festival, which is set to take place two weeks later between Thursday 26 and Sunday 29 June in the old town of Loulé. World music and poetry from the Cape Verde Islands, Japan, Argentina, Jamaica and the French overseas island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean. The cultural diversity of the music is an especially exciting prospect, because Portugal also has its own music and theatre to offer this year, including, for example, Filipe Sambado (see photo).

There will be five separate stages for the concerts in Loulé: Matriz, Cerca, Castelo, Chafariz and Hamman. The 25 performers and bands who have already confirmed their presence will be joined by a further 13 international names. It will be the biggest event of its kind in Europe. The Japanese Mitsune are known for their blend of traditional Japanese folk music combined with psychedelic, cinematic and ritualistic sounds, all infused with the spirit of punk. Filipe Sambado is one of the Portuguese musicians participating in the MED’25 Festival programme. He will be on stage on 28 June and is one of the most distinctive and exciting performers in contemporary Portuguese culture.