AgitÁgueda started as part of the celebrations for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany but has since become an annual tradition that attracts visitors around the country and other parts of the world. Located in the small Portugese town of Agueda, this music and arts festival brings the town to life with performances, music, dance, music, DJ’s, sports, art and much more.
This festival caught our eye because of the fun and unique celebrations that span across 23 days in July (3rd – 25th), that’s almost a whole month of fun! Every day of this festival brings a packed music lineup featuring music from various different genres including rock, reggae, jazz, hip hop and traditional portugese music; a much more varied selection than you’d usually get to experience at music festivals. Not only is it a place for established artists to come and play, but one of the main aims of the festival is promoting new musical projects and giving a platform to young talent from the local area.
It offers a lot more in the way of family friendly entertainment too, including parades and carnival celebrations, acrobatics, and sporting events, all of which encourage participation from the 3000 tourists it attracts every day. AgitaKids provides a massive playground for kids during the day and includes a ball pit, inflatable slides and bouncy castles. Then when the sun goes down and the kids are tucked into bed, the streets open up to a buzzing nightlife and array of club events for those who like to party.
But the highlight of the festival and what makes it unique, is the tradition of filling the streets with thousands of colourful umbrellas which transforms the streets into an open-air art gallery… at least you know you’ll be staying dry on a rainy day too! Creating this umbrella sky is the tradition that has made it so popular and internationally famous but as well as this there’s an array of art installations and participatory art projects that are different each year, keeping it fresh and exciting for returning visitors.
At the heart of it, AgitÁgueda is a festival centered around colour, creativity, promoting local talent and encouraging participation from both locals and tourists. The art installations, wide variety of music and entertainment for all ages makes it an ideal family festival that takes place in a beautiful place in the midsummer. Although it was only founded in 2006, it continues to get bigger each year and is putting the small Portugese town of Águeda on the map.
Chloe is a content creator with a passion for writing, photography, graphic design and making music. She loves experimenting with creative media and has a desire to work in the music and media industries in the future.
