The Algarve is known for its vibrant summer agenda, which every year offers something for everyone.
From music festivals and art exhibitions to food and wine tastings, sports competitions, and cultural celebrations, the region presents an incredible lineup of events. Get ready to immerse yourself in a whirlwind of entertainment as we explore what’s happening across the Algarve during July, August, and September, in 2023.
— MED Festival
29 June to 1 July | Loulé
The MED Festival celebrates world music and offers a unique experience in the streets and squares of Loulé from 29 June to 1 July. In addition to the musical performances, the MED festival also offers a diverse supporting program. This includes workshops, craft stalls, cinema, film concerts, and much more. The festival aims to offer visitors an intense experience of world culture. Some of the guest artists are Omar Souleyman (Syria), Club Makumba (Portugal), Horace Andy (Jamaica), AYWA (Morocco/France), and many more.
— Lota COOL Market
5 to 9 July | Portimão
The coolest market in the South emerges next to the old Lota of Portimão – by the Arade River. After a memorable edition in 2022, Lota COOL Market intends to raise the bar, extending the event for another day and expanding its space in the surrounding area.
Lota COOL Market is once again eco-friendly, with this year’s theme being “Blue Fever”.
In addition to handicrafts, design, and regional producers, the Lota COOL Market has, between 6 p.m. and 1 a.m., a large space reserved for gastronomy with several food trucks with a vast offer.
— Rolling Loud Festival
5 to 7 July | Praia da Rocha – Portimão
Rolling Loud is a hip-hop music festival that has been held in the United States in Miami, Los Angeles, and New York. In 2022, it debuted in Portugal and had great success. This year, Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, and Meek Mill will be on stage. The line-up is composed of renowned artists from the world of hip-hop and trap such as Central Cee, Kodak Black, Lil Durk, and Glorilla.
— Lagoa Culture Market by Candlelight
6 to 9 July | Lagoa
The 8th edition of the Mercado de Culturas à Luz das Velas will take place in the city of Lagoa. In this edition, the cultural theme will be dedicated to “Cultures and Rituals of Ibero-America”. This year’s poster has 3 relevant symbols of Ibero-America, namely the Andean Cross, the Sol Maya, and of course, the Christian Cross.
— Wednesday Walks in the Moonlight
July & August | Lagoa
In 2023, Caminhadas ao Luar is back for six more sessions. The walks/runs are activities that can be performed by people of all ages and adapted to all kinds of lifestyles. In July and August, every Wednesday — at 8.30 pm, you’ll be able to visit the various parishes of the municipality, as well as its most emblematic points. Take a look at the dates below.
July 12 – Lagoa (Pavilhão Municipal Jacinto Correia)
July 19 – Porches (Largo da Igreja da Sra. da Rocha)
July 26 – Parchal (Estádio da Belavista)
August 2 – Ferragudo (Largo Rainha D. Leonor)
August 9 – Estômbar (Jardim Municipal)
August 16 – Carvoeiro (Largo da Praia)
— Lagos Street Food Fest
13 to 16 July | Lagos
Street food is a vibrant concept, and a very loved one. This kind of festival is already a reference all over the world, gaining more and more notoriety and supporters, not only from customers but also from visionary entrepreneurs with original ideas. The “Lagos Food Fest” will bring together some of the most original national food trucks, in order to share with its visitors what is best done in Portugal in terms of street food. A lot of entertainment is also guaranteed.
— Feira da Serra
27 to 30 July | São Brás de Alportel
Every year, on the last weekend of July, São Brás de Alportel becomes the stage for the biggest event of its kind in the region. A reference to the touristic scene and a true paradigm in the defense of the genuine Algarve.
More than a music festival, handicraft, gastronomy fair, equestrian event, or a space for children’s entertainment, Feira da Serra is all that and much more — with 18 thematic spaces where there is no shortage of entertainment for the whole family, in an environment that excels in comfort, safety, and accessibility for all.
Feira da Serra opens its doors to the genuine Algarve and invites you to travel back in time, to discover the traditions of the people of the mountains, building the bridge between past, present and future!
— Sardine Festival
1 to 6 August | Portimão
Delicious grilled sardines, lots of music, and entertainment. In short, fun for the whole family!
Portimão celebrates once again its main gastronomic icon. Throughout the riverside area, between the museum and the old fish market, you’ll find a festive atmosphere and the smell of traditional sardines in the air. Elected the best summer gastronomic event in Europe in 2022, it debuts on August 1st, with a historical recreation of the unloading of sardines in the riverside area.
— Medieval Fair of Silves
10 to 20 August | Silves
The Silves Medieval Fair is a historical recreation of the Middle Ages, where visitors are transported back in time through themed scenarios, games, music, gastronomy, and other experiences that take place during the 10 days of the fair. Visitors are invited to dress up in period costumes and exchange their euros for xilbs, the currency used in the ancient capital of the Algarve. This event is a landmark summer event and is suitable for the whole family.
— Festival MAR ME QUER
10 to 12 August | Portimão
The MAR ME QUER Festival was created in order to provide an event with a young, trendy, irreverent mood, with well-defined environmental causes. The festival wants to be the motto for more and more people to contribute to a sustainable lifestyle and Planet. The festival’s decor will be created by artists using nothing but materials collected from the oceans — and others who, through their art and concepts, aim to amplify and create awareness regarding climate change.
— Festival do Marisco
10 to 14 August | Olhão
The cubist city of Olhão is a special reference for those visiting the Algarve. The typicality of its people, the exotic architecture, the gastronomy, and its islands are nothing but great reasons to visit the area. The Seafood Festival, held in Jardim Pescador Olhanense, next to the Ria Formosa, offers a wide variety of seafood — in its traditional way of cooking, regional sweets, handicrafts, and much more!
— Fatacil
18 to 26 August | Lagoa
For those who don’t know yet: FATACIL is a Portuguese acronym for the Crafts, Tourism, Agriculture, Trade, and Industry Fair in Lagoa. Every year, several exhibitors from national companies come together to present the best that Portugal has to offer. Besides the business exhibitors, you will also find handicrafts, delicatessen artisans, clothing, and all kinds of traditional objects. FATACIL offers its visitors a wide range of experiences and many different concerts, one for each day of the festival. Richie Campbell, Toy, Bárbara Tinoco, and Quim Barreiros are some of the names present in the 2023’s edition.
— Banho 29
28 to 29 August | Lagos Beaches
Banho 29 is a highly anticipated event not only for the people of Lagos but also for its visitors. On the night of 28-29 August, several groups of friends gather on the city’s beaches to take a midnight dip in the sea. This bath is nothing more than a closing ritual of the summer that is passed down from generation to generation. Concerts and the antique swimming costume competition take place in the city center.
— III Lagoa YogaFest
1 to 3 September | Lagoa
Ideias do Levante – Associação Cultural de Lagoa, organizes (in person and online) the third edition of Lagoa | YogaFest, with the aim of promoting the practice of Yoga and its various related practices and themes.
— Festival F
7 to 9 September | Faro
Festival F is a cultural initiative that brings together established and emerging artists of the Portuguese music scene, for 3 days, in the city of Faro. Workshops, stand-up comedy, plastic, and performing arts are also part of the program. The Vila Adentro makes Festival F one of the most beautiful venues in Portugal, as it combines the historical heritage with the proximity to the Ria Formosa Natural Park and the magnificence of the Fábrica da Cerveja (an old factory building). A unique and irreplaceable location.
We hope you enjoy it!