After being shuttered for around ten years, the Cineteatro Florbela Espanca in Vila Viçosa, in Évora’s district, has reopened following renovations that cost 3 million euros. The venue features an exhibition gallery, two auditoriums (one with 200 seats and the other with 100), a multipurpose room that can accommodate 50 people, a bar, restrooms and changing areas.

Vila Viçosa’s mayor Inácio Esperança emphasised that this would be the first project in Alentejo to be inaugurated that was funded by the Alentejo 2030 program. According to the mayor, work on renovating the Alentejo cinema theatre started in 2021, thanks to funds from the municipality, the Alentejo 2020 initiative, and Alentejo 2030 project.

The mayor noted that at that time when the cinema theatre was still in operation, "the false ceiling inside began to give way, because there was water infiltration, and there was no air conditioning." The municipality's previous management had started the renovation project in 2021 when Inácio Esperança was elected. "There was a 600 thousand euros project for the cinema theatre when I got [to the council after winning the 2021 local elections], which was essentially to upgrade the false ceiling and install air conditioning, but with that alone, it wouldn't be in good condition," he shared.

“We started the work to inaugurate it in December 2023, but, on July 31, during the project, there was a fire caused by an electrical short circuit or heating of cables, according to the PJ [Judicial Police] report”, the mayor recalled. It was then necessary to reformulate the project again to increase the investment and the completion deadline and, in October 2023, the work started again. The project was finished by the end of October, according to Inácio Esperança, who also noted that tests have been conducted and that "in December there will already be programming," including a Christmas party, a concert, two film screenings, and colloquiums.