Flag-Raising at the Paços do Concelho on 11 September
Stand in front of the town hall on the morning of 11 September and you will hear the Banda de Música da SFCIA before you see them. The municipal holiday in Amadora always falls on this date, and the day opens with the Hastear da Bandeira — the flag-raising ceremony — followed by the solemn commemorative session marking the municipality's anniversary. In 2026 that anniversary is the 47th, and the ceremony anchors a programme that runs from 3 to 13 September under the banner Amadora em Festa. Arrive early enough to watch the brass band assemble; the music carries across the square.
The same morning, listen for the roving "Toca quem Quer" street animations, which bring musical performances to CP Amadora and Reboleira train stations and the Amadora-Este metro station. It is a free, unhurried way to meet the city on its own holiday, moving between the places residents actually pass through every day.
Free Concerts at Parque Central's Palco Cidade
Three nights of open-air concerts close the festival at Parque Central, on the Palco Cidade stage near the Estátua José Afonso. On 11 September, Sara Correia performs at 21:30 and Rui Veloso follows at 23:15. On 12 September the bill brings Bia Caboz and Matias Damásio. On 13 September, Quinta do Bill play with the SFCIA philharmonic. All are free to attend.
The festival has built its reputation on these Parque Central nights — past editions have featured Ana Moura and Dino D'Santiago on the same stage. Bring a layer for the late set; the second act does not start until after eleven.
Exhibitions, Dance and the Festa do Livro
The festival's indoor programme is as substantial as its stages. At the Galeria Municipal in the Paços do Concelho, "Outras fronteiras" marks the centenary of the birth of Artur Bual (1926–2026), opening on 3 September and on view until 30 September. At Casa Roque Gameiro, the exhibition "Eu, Leitão de Barros" opens on 10 September and runs until 30 November, with watercolour and botanical illustration workshops with Catarina França, and a workshop and walk with Fernanda Botelho, on 12 September.
At the Recreios da Amadora, the Quorum Dance Company performs "Getting up" on 3 and 4 September at 21:00, and premieres the documentary "Quorum: vinte anos em movimento", marking twenty years of the company. The Cineteatro D. João V hosts the children's and youth show Bia Alegria on 12 and 13 September at 11:00, and a tribute concert to Luís Represas on 5 September at 21:00.
- XI Festa do Livro: 11–13 September at the Biblioteca Municipal Fernando Piteira Santos, free entry.
- III Festival "É UM ENCONTRO": 11–13 September at Parque Central and the Mercado Municipal da Mina de Água, free entry, from 16:30 on the opening day.
- Conversas na Rua, 12th edition: public mural art interventions across various public spaces, 3–14 September.
Folklore, Alentejo Flavours and Neighbourhood Festivals
Amadora em Festa reaches beyond the centre into the parishes, and the Parque Aventura hosts two of its most rooted afternoons. On 6 September at 15:00, the 12th Folklore Festival brings the Rancho Folclórico Alegria do Minho to the park, organised through the Movimento Associativo. On 12 September at 16:00, the 47th Dia do Alentejo fills the same park — the day when Alentejo food and culture take over, and your best chance to eat your way through the regional cooking that the festival's community groups put out.
Elsewhere in the programme, look for the Desfile de Fanfarras de Bombeiros, the firefighters' brass band parade, and the Amadora Beer Fest at Parque da Liberdade — both recurring features of the September festivities. Sports and movement run through the whole month under Amadora Ativa, in the city's gardens and public spaces, with Vitalsport Decathlon at the Parque Desportivo da Decathlon Amadora on 5–6 September, the ASA Classic Race cyclotourism ride on 20 September, and free yoga, circuit training and Pilates sessions at Parque Urbano Alto dos Moinhos and the Complexo Desportivo Municipal do Monte da Galega.
Planning Your September in Amadora
The festival occupies 3 to 13 September 2026, with the municipal holiday on the 11th as its centre of gravity; a handful of events, like the ASA Classic Race on 20 September, fall outside that window. Venues cluster around Parque Central and the Paços do Concelho, with the Parque Aventura, Casa Roque Gameiro and the Biblioteca Municipal Fernando Piteira Santos a short hop away — all of it reachable by the train and metro stations where the festival's street music plays. Check amadoraemfesta.pt for the full programme, book your stay around the 11th if you want the flag-raising and the biggest concert night, and give yourself the shoulder days on either side for the markets, the exhibitions and the neighbourhood afternoons.