The event, held in the castle overlooking that village in the district of Coimbra and the fields of Baixo Mondego, takes place over 19 days (between the 30th of November and 29th of December) and keeps access prices unchanged: daily tickets vary between five euros for children aged 3 to 12 and over 65, and six euros for young people and adults, which entitles them to all the activities, entertainment and shows included in the program.
According to Tiago Castelo Branco, from the production company MOT, responsible for Castelo Mágico, the initiative has been consolidating its national character, welcoming children and families from various parts of the country, but also Brazilian and Spanish tourists (notably from Galicia), who purposefully travel to the event.
In the Castelo Mágico presentation session, the person responsible for production noted, however, how “difficult” it was to establish the event over the years as a tourist destination in the Central region, one of MOT's objectives, more than creating a product that was 100% profitable, like the so-called 'Christmas businesses', which also exist in Portugal and where each activity or entertainment is paid for by users, he pointed out.
“There are offers for all tastes, from fairs to Christmas markets and theme parks. We wanted to create our own identity that is now a national reference, there is no child who doesn't know Nico and no girl who doesn't want to be the Princess”, said Tiago Castelo Branco, alluding to the Castelo Mágico mascots.
Emílio Torrão said that Castelo Mágico “has very unique characteristics, it is not just a fun fair”.
He alluded, in particular, to the staged stories and a theatrical show that complements, entertainment such as a 'slide' route or the 'air bungee' - the latter defined as “jumps and adrenaline in the heights” – or the three-kilometer night walk “which It’s a success”, among other entertainment, without forgetting the visit to Santa Claus’s House, one of the most popular among children.
According to the mayor, in 2024 the Magic Castle's budget is 382 thousand euros (40 thousand euros more than in 2023), an increase justified by the increase in equipment and infrastructure costs, but also by the reinforcement of human resources specialized in helping children access to entertainment.
Tiago Castelo Branco, when alluding to the reinforcement of human resources, also to guarantee the safety of users, recalled that in six editions already held “there have been no serious incidents” at the event, which has the support of an advanced medical post and the collaboration of authorities.
With a turnout of around 40 thousand people in 2023, a year in which the daily capacity of 2,500 people, in the same space at the same time, was reached several times, Emílio Torrão considered that the Magic Castle “is already in children’s imagination” .