August in Portugal
Portuguese Culture: Festivals & Events in Portugal in August
August like the previous month July is when city dwellers head for Portugal's beaches to relax and keep cool.
Many go to the beaches in the Algarve, though among Lisboetas many prefer the coast at Caparica, nearer to home. Likewise people from Porto make the short trip to the coast at Matosinhos or Póvoa de Varzim, a resort also with some fine beaches of its own or Espinho to the south with its casino, surf and the oldest golf club in Portugal and Spain.
The weather in Portugal is at its hottest and driest at this time of year with high temperatures especially in the inland Alentejo region which is not cooled by any sea breezes. Beja in particular has a reputation as one of the hottest places in Portugal during the summer.
Festivals in August in Portugal
August has several festivals to enjoy, however.
The Ocean Festival (Festival dos Oceanos) held intermittently at Parque das Nações in Lisbon celebrates the city's links with the high seas with boat races and numerous special events.
The Rio Formosa Festival in the cathedral square of Faro is a latter-day, civic seafood and beer festival focused on the need to preserve the area's Rio Formosa lagoon.
The 10-day Silves Medieval Fair (Silves Feira Medieval) takes place in Silves with historical re-enactments, horse tournaments, period costume and lots of food and drink.
Religious festivals in Portugal in August include the following.
The Festa Nossa Senhora da Orada occurs on 14th August in Albufeira when an image of the Virgin Mary and the child Jesus is paraded around town and transported on a boat.
The festival of Our Lady of Seafarers in Cascais sees images of saints carried through the town's streets and then on to fishing boats - also bull running, music, fireworks and lots of food.
The Feira de Sao Mateus in Viseu takes place from mid-August to its climax on September 21 (Dia do Sao Mateus). There are bullfights, fado and folk dancing at this agricultural fair.
The Festas de N.S. dos Remedios takes place in Lamego from the end of August to mid-September.
The Romaria da Nossa Senhora da Agonía (Our Lady of Sorrows) held in Viana do Castelo around August 20 includes an impressive parade of floats, displays of local crafts, carnival giants (gigantones), local music, nightly fireworks and lots of drinking.
The Festas Gualterianas (St Walter) has been held in Guimaraes on the first weekend of August since 1452.
The Festa Sao Bartolomeu held in Porto (Sunday after August 24) sees a procession of puppets and a healthy plunge in the sea at Foz do Douro.
August Music Festivals
The procession of sunny days are ideal for outdoor music festivals. The Neopop Festival, Portugal's most respected electronic music festival takes place in Viana do Castelo. The main event area is near the Castelo de Santiago da Barra at the mouth of the river.
The Festival Sudoeste is a 5-day rock, indie and electro music festival at Zambujeira do Mar with acts from Portugal and overseas.
Ritual Rock Nights (Noites Ritual Rock) at the Palácio De Cristal in Porto is a rock festival for up-and-coming bands.
The Vilar de Mouros Festival (EDP Vilar de Mouros) is the oldest rock festival on the Iberian Peninsula. The event began as a local folk music festival in the 1960s. In 1971 it expanded to include rock music and the first edition featured Elton John and Manfred Mann. Due to financial difficulties, the festival was only held intermittently over the following years until revived in 2014. The festival is now usually held in late-August.
The Festival do Marisco in Olhão is part seafood festival, part music festival continuing over six days. It takes place on the seafront in Jardim Pescador Olhanense.
Paredes de Coura, presently the Vodafone Paredes de Coura, dates back to 1993 and has featured such big names as Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Kasabian, Morrissey, and Nine Inch Nails. It was last held in 2019 and hopes to start again in 2022 after the Covid-19 pandemic. The venue is Praia do Taboão in Paredes de Coura, a small town about 50 km northeast of Viana do Castelo or 20 km south of Valença on the Spanish border.
