February

 Mardi Gras

Carnaval festivities

Carnaval is celebrated in many regions of Portugal, some festivities are identical but many have their unique flair. Most popular locations include Alcobaça, Almeirim, Nazare, Sesimbra, Samora Correia, Torres Vedras, Viana do Castelo, Loule, Ovar, all islands of the Azores and Madeira.

Santarem (Lisboa region)

Bull Fair

Feira Nacional do Toiro (National Bull Festival)
Location: CNEMA – Centro Nacional de Exposições

Vila Franca de Xira (Lisboa region)

Dog Show

Exposição Canina (Dog Show)Location: Pavilhão do Cevadeiro

Lagos (Algarve region)

Golf 

Campeonato de Golfe Amendoeiras em Flor (Almond Blossom Golf Championship)

Lazarim (Lamego – North of Portugal)

Carnaval

Carnaval (Mardi Gras) Festivities. This celebration follows the pagan tradition whose origins stem from ancient rituals and Roman Saturnalia. Declarations are read out-loud and colorful effigies are burnt. During the festivities, the local inhabitants wear heavy hand-made wooden masks that testify to the wealth of craftsmanship that can be found in Lazarim.

Madeira Island

Carnaval

Featuring a “Grande Cortejo Alegórico” (Grand Float Pageant) on the Saturday night of Carnaval. Thousands of participants in various groups will flood the main streets of Funchal with music and merrymaking in a dazzling parade of fantasies that no one will be able to resist. This is followed by the “Cortejo Trapalhão” (Bungler’s Pageant). In this joyful setting, the island’s population celebrates Carnaval with astonishing creativity and imagination.

Sao Miguel Island – Azores

Carnaval

Carnaval Tuesday is marked by a water in the main arteries of Ponta Delgada city. By foot or in equipped trucks and pick-up people battle on friendly water battles. The main focus is the ocean front avenue Dom Afonso D. Henrique.

Porto (Oporto) –

Fantasporto Science Fiction Film Festival

This international science fiction film festival in Porto is considered one of the most important in the world for science fiction. Fantasporto began in 1981 as the “Showcase for Science Fiction Cinema” and developed into one of the most significant cinematographic and cultural happenings in Portugal. The festival has an official competition, which is open to films of any length that are in the fantasy or science fiction category. At the same time, the festival presents a week of films that are not limited to any particular theme and have special screenings of directors who may be unknown in the Portuguese commercial circuit. Location: Auditório Nacional Carlos Alberto