The municipality of Mafra has confirmed that the Portuguese extension of the European Music Centre in the municipality will open before the end of the year. The project, which wants to provide greater visibility to the town of Mafra, intends to foster music-related cultural events, link the municipality to global music networks, and use music to spread historical knowledge.

According to an agreement obtained by the Lusa agency, the Mafra Council and the European Music Centre (CEM) intend to establish the centre “in a dignified space”, the south tower of the Mafra Palace, to facilitate the “development of various activities”. The agreement states that CEM will plan and implement cultural initiatives and that the municipality would provide 100,000 dollars a year for the project between 2024 and 2025.

Mafra's historical ties to music extend back to the building of the Mafra National Palace. This connection will be further strengthened by the upcoming establishment of the National Music Museum, the Universidade Nova de Lisboa's Musical Sciences hub, and the National Sound Archive. For these reasons, the CEM will have its headquarters in Mafra.


However, the CEM will collaborate with partner cities to implement a programme that extends beyond Mafra and encompasses many national regions.

The municipalities of Mafra, Lisbon, Faro, Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Grândola, and Porto had previously decided to work together on cultural programmes and install the Portuguese extension of CEM in Mafra in October. With three programmes now in development – Music and Oceans, Music and Ecology, and Via Scarlatti – CEM will be a hub for music-based research and innovation.