Gastronomic festivals are undoubtedly key in celebrating a country’s culinary heritage and Portuguese gastronomy festivals are no different. They offer the opportunity to explore the richness of Portuguese cuisine, so if you are eager to try the best of what Portuguese cuisine has to offer, a food festival might be exactly what your taste buds are in need of.

These unique festivals from north to south showcase traditional dishes, and local produce and act as a stage for creativity, with incredible chefs up to the task of reinventing tradition.

Food festivals are the perfect event for the whole family, with highlights including the Vila do Conde Gastronomy Fair, The Óbidos International Chocolate Festival, The Octopus Festival, Chefs on Fire in Estoril, and The National Gastronomy Festival of Santarém. In the south, the festivals pay homage to its rich coastline with the Sardine Festival, The Olhão Seafood Festival, and without forgetting The Lagos Street Food Festival. Finally, an honourable mention must be given to the Azores Fish Broth Festival.


Feira de Gastronomia de Vila do Conde

Vila do Conde’s Gastronomy fair is running from 16 to 25 August 2024 and is where the best of Portuguese cusine can be found. Occupying the privileged area of a welcoming garden of around 11,000 m2, right in the city center, the Vila do Conde Gastronomy Fair has restaurants from different gastronomic regions of the country and more than 70 stands with sale of a variety of food and wine products. There is no shortage of traditional bread, cakes, biscuits and conventual sweets, artisanal honey, a variety of sausages and smoked meats, cheeses as well as preserves.

For more information, please visit https://feiradegastronomia.com/ or find them at https://www.facebook.com/gastronomia.viladoconde


Óbidos International Chocolate Festival

The Óbidos International Chocolate Festival had its first edition in 2002 and, since then, it has been held annually in Vila de Óbidos. According to the organisation, it aims to “promote the local community, offer unique experiences to visitors and support the region's talented chocolatiers and pastry chefs and of the country, as well as functioning as a showcase of the best that is done in Portugal and in the world”.

The 2025 date is yet to be announced but it is almost always runs in March.

For more information, please visit https://festivalchocolate.cm-obidos.pt/ or find them at https://www.facebook.com/obidoschocolate/


Festival do Polvo

Ericeira’s Octopus Festival is on its 9th edition and will be running from the 17 and 26 of May. From the most traditional to the most innovative, don't miss the opportunity to taste the incredible dishes that the participating restaurants have prepared in celebration of the delicious octopus which is one of the most iconic ingredients in Portuguese cuisine. During the Octopus Festival, participating restaurants serve a special themed menu, inspired by regional cuisine.

For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/festivalpolvoericeira


Chefs on Fire

“Executive producer of Chefs on Fire was asked to cook for his friends at a birthday party, this involved cooking for 60 people in the Alentejo, with a kitchen too small to serve that number of people. He ended up building a fire pit where he cooked all of the produce required. This experience led Gonçalo to question, if he was capable of doing this, what would real renowned chefs do and how would they do it?

It was in this atmosphere of conviviality and complicity, around the fire, that the authentic experience that we know today as Chefs on Fire was born, a celebration of good food, good music and good wine.”

Aside from the delicious food, Chefs on Fire prides itself on sustainability with practices such as a consumed firewood replantation system, zero plastic policy, and fighting food waste by donating surplus food to Refood.

The Chefs on Fire Pop-Up will next take place in Aveiro on the 19, 20, 21 July at Parque Infante D. Pedro. For tickets please visit https://www.chefsonfire.pt/pop-up-aveiro

Chefs on Fire Festival 2024 has been announced as taking place on 20, 21, and 22 September at Feira de Artesanato do Estoril. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.chefsonfire.pt/cascais

For regular updates, please visit www.facebook.com/chefsonfire.pt or see https://www.chefsonfire.pt/.


Festival Nacional de Gastronomia

Santarém is home to one of the oldest food festivals in the country, with an exciting new theme being celebrated every year. The 43rd edition’s preparations are underway with the festival taking place between the 25 October to 3 November in 2024.

This foodie festival is celebrated annually for a week at Casa do Campino in Santarém and features 30 agri-food producers, 20 sweet shops, 18 commercial and institutional stands, 30 artisans, eight permanent restaurants, several gastronomic demonstrations, the presence of nine wine regions, an area dedicated to wine, two kitchens for gastronomic demonstrations, a snack area with renowned chefs and a banquet area for special signature dinners.

For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/FestivalNacionalGastronomia/ or see https://www.visitesantarem.pt/

Credits: Unsplash; Author: @alex_wsul;

Festival da Sardinha

It is almost festival time in Portimão, once again Portimão will be celebrating the principal icon in its gastronomy: the sardine. The Sardine festival will take place from the 30th of July to the 4th of August this year with an extra day, at Zona Riberinha de Portimão, and best of all, its entry is free.

As always there will be plenty of great music to accompany the many grilled sardines, on the 30 July, Aurea will take to the stage, followed by Sara Correia on the 31 July, Anjos on the 1 August, Richie Campbell on the 2 August, Marisa Liz on the 3 August and closing the festival with be the Delfins on the 4 August.

For more information, please visit https://www.cm-portimao.pt/ or www.festivaldasardinha.pt


Festival do Marisco

This iconic event will take run from the 10 to 14 August at the Jardim Pescador Olhanense, overlooking the beautiful Ria Formosa. The goal is to delight visitors with fresh seafood along with a fantastic varied lineup.

Speaking of a great line-up, this year is no different with Calema taking to the stage on the 10 August, followed by Ana Moura on the 11 August, Plutónico on the 12 August, Diogo Piçara on the 13 August, and closing the festival is Maninho on the 14 August.

Daily tickets for adults cost 10 euros, whereas children from the ages of 7 to 12 cost five, and under 7’s enter for free.

For more information and updates, please visit www.festivaldomarisco.com or at https://www.facebook.com/festivaldomariscodeolhao/


Lagos Street Food Festival

The largest festival of its kind in the Algarve is back for its 9th edition on the 11, 12, 13 and 14 of July 2024. The anticipated festival is sure to delight foodies of all ages with the best of national street food and music, with last year’s location being Jardim da Constituição in Lagos, and best of all it was free entry. The festival's line-up is yet to be announced with foodie details also being eagerly awaited.

To keep up to date, please visit https://www.facebook.com/lagosfoodfest/ and https://www.lagosfoodsessions.com/


Festival do Caldo do Peixe

Rabo de Peixe on the island of São Miguel in the Azores, famed more recently for the hit Netflix show by the same name, receives many visitors for its annual Fish Broth Festival. This fishing village celebrates one of the most typical dishes of Azorean gastronomy, filling fish broth, which is served with fish and bread.

Every year, this dish and the entire lifestyle of fishermen is celebrated during the Fish Caldo Festival. Festival-goers have the opportunity to taste fish soups prepared using old recipes but also reinvented versions.

For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/festivalcaldopeixe as the date is yet to be announced.

Author

Following undertaking her university degree in English with American Literature in the UK, Cristina da Costa Brookes moved back to Portugal to pursue a career in Journalism, where she has worked at The Portugal News for 3 years. Cristina’s passion lies with Arts & Culture as well as sharing all important community-related news.

Cristina da Costa Brookes