If there’s a place to come and celebrate life, then that place is Madeira. As each year draws to a close, the end is commemorated of yet another cycle of 365 days that have been lived as intensely as our memory allows us to recall.
The Christian traditions of Christmas time combine with the displays of rejoicing at the arrival of the New Year, in a rich and extensive programme of cultural, ethnographic and artistic events that continue throughout the month of December and carry on till Twelfth Night.
The specific conditions of Funchal’s naturally-formed amphitheatre transform it into a giant crib lit by the thousands of lights placed up and down the city’s main avenues, resulting in a most extraordinary scenario. Allow yourself to be tempted by the wares in the shops of Funchal and give yourself up to the frenzied activity of shopping. Here you can buy anything from the latest international brands to the most diverse handicraft articles. Funchal is like a giant outdoor shopping centre.
An island in festival, both at the hotels and in the restaurants, bars and streets, where, in order to mark the transition to the New Year, the skies of Funchal are lit up with a gigantic firework display that lasts for a good ten minutes. This is undoubtedly the dawning of a whole new life! Find more information at: - http://fimdoano.visitmadeira.pt/ - https://www.visitportugal.com/new-year-madeira
After 4 successful editions of this UCI Off Road Stage Race, Associação Club BCF the organiser from this event will have for 2017 the cooperation of the Algarve Tourism Department. This top quality and high level event will be elevated to an even higher level! In 2017 the race will take place in Tavira from 3rd to 5th of March. For 2017 the Race will be again included in the UCI calendar in order to dare both leisure, ambitious amateur riders and elite world class pro riders.
The host city will remain the historical and beautifull Tavira, the perfect scenery for a bike event offering history, culture, marvellous landscapes, diversity of the terrain in his geography and orography, quality of the epic courses, excellence of the food and accomodation but also the safety and all the details prepared by the organiser of the Algarve Bike Challenge committed to offer a unique and special bike experience.
Algarve Bike Challenge is a mountain bike stage race and it will run from 03rd to 05th of March 2017. Subscriptions will open on August 30th 2016.
The event will have the UCI S2 race for Elite UCI riders and the Open Race for all riders federated and non federated over 19 years old. On the Open Race teams will race under a specific reglament.
In the UCI Race it will have 2 categorioes Men and Women. To the Open Race it will be available 6 different categories including Mixed Category. Classifications will be made with the time of the second member at the finish line every day. The addition of times on each stage establishes the general classification. This concept is a surplus in endurance races, stimulating team spirit. Effort management and risk assessment are also important factors in this kind of stage race.
This event offers the best services for the performance and comfort of participants and also itineraries of genuine mountain bike.
The structure of this Race will provide everything that is necessary from water, food, accommodation, technical support while riders care only about their passion, RIDING A BIKE!
The Event will be hosted in the marvellous and historical city of Tavira starting with a Night Prologue on the historical town centre lighted by his natural light and ancient torches.
On the day after, Saturday, will be raced the Queen stage. Riders will start from Tavira town centre toward north to the Sierra de Tavira. Alcaria do Cume 500 metres above sea level will mark this stage.
The 2nd stage will be a little shorter with plenty of fun and single tracks.. Riders will ride on Serra do Caldeirão. The landscape, terrain characteristics will be totally different from the first stage.
In order to fullfill this unforgetable weekend riders can choose to accomodate in one of the 3 amazing 4star official hotels exclusively for the race. On all Hotels it will be provided mechanical assistance, sport massages, 24H Secure Bike Park and a lounge area.
The arrival of the decorative lights in the streets of the city centre of Funchal, during the month of December, sets the beginning of the Madeira Christmas and End of the Year Festivities programme.
These festivities culminate with the famous fireworks show, officially recognised in 2006 by the Guinness Book of Records, as the largest fireworks show in the world.
These commemorations consist of a rich and extensive programme of cultural, religious, ethnographic and artistic manifestations that take place throughout the entire month of December, an event that culminates on January,8th.
Find out more about what to expect from Christmas and New Year Festivities in Madeira December 23rd Market Night is held on December 23rd, when Madeirans do their last-minute Christmas shopping and it is in this hustle and bustle that the spirit of the “Festivity” can best be felt, the nickname given by the Madeirans to identify Christmas. The inhabitants move towards the Farmers' Market where the surrounding streets, which are closed to traffic, are occupied by various points of sale opened throughout the night. They have varied local products such as flowers, shrubs, fruits, vegetables, sweets, wine-and-garlic meat sandwiches and typical drinks, such as poncha. At nightfall the biggest attraction of the day begins, a traditional Christmas carols show, where locals take on the role of true artists. Also the participation of music bands and folklore groups helps to maintain the atmosphere of celebration and fun until dawn.
December 28th
Organised by the Madeira Athletics Association, the Funchal Road Race is one of the oldest sports events of its kind in Portugal and Europe. This race that has attracted innumerable national and international athletes to the island, brings lots of adrenaline and excitement to the Madeiran capital.
December 31st
The fireworks show lasts for about eight minutes and is distributed by several fireworks stations in the Funchal amphitheatre, the waterfront, the city centre, the sea and one station on Porto Santo Island.
This grand spectacle that is one of Madeira’s most important tourist events, was internationally recognised in 2006 by the Guinness Book of Records as "The largest fireworks show in the World".
January 5th
On the evening of January 5th to 6th the Twelfth Night songs are sung in the neighbours’ houses, a little throughout the region. It is this spirit that seeks to recreate the popular tradition of the Madeiran traditional songs that were made on this day, door to door, in various localities of the ARM, which the Association of the Casas do Povo of the Autonomous Region of Madeira organises and produces in the Auditorium of the Municipal Garden of Funchal, the musical show “Cantar os Reis” ( The Twelfh nights songs).
Other initiatives included in the programme:
Childbirth Masses
Christmas begins with the "Missas do Parto" (childbirth masses) starting December 16th and ending on Christmas Eve, with the midnight mass. The "Missas do Parto" - the novenas - are nine in total and are celebrate early in the morning. After the mass, believers gather in the churchyard to hear the chanting, accompanied by groups of strings, accordions and castanets, with no shortage of the “despiques”, which are followed by the snack with spirits, liqueurs and cakes.
In some parishes of Madeira such as Câmara de Lobos and Camacha, the tradition of philharmonic bands is maintained, accompanied by other instruments, such as castanets, bass drums, braguinhas or accordions, of going door to door, in a joyful symphony, to awaken its locals and rush them to this typical ritual of our land.
New Year's Eve in Porto to the sound of Blind Zero and Os Azeitona
Welcoming the new year in the main living room of the city, Avenida dos Aliados, which is also one of the biggest outdoor stages in the country, will be given by Blind Zero and Os Azeitonas, in what will be the last concert of the band with Miguel Araújo. There will be the traditional firework, which this year will also have even more surprises.
As in other major cities in Europe and in the world, Porto has been preparing great shows in its main living room to mark the start of the new year, offering more entertainment to the people of Porto and, at the same time, stimulating domestic and foreign tourism and the social, commercial and economic dynamics of the centre of Porto. This time, the night of the end of the year will again be entertained by two national bands. From 10,30pm on December 31st, Blind Zero, led by Miguel Guedes (from Porto), take the stage of the Aliados. Recognized for their energy on stage and on their way to release their eighth album, Blind Zero will bid farewell to 2016 with a special concert on the biggest stage of the city, recalling some of the most outstanding songs of their 20 years such as “Slow Time Love”, “Shine On” and “Recognize”, among many others.
At midnight, and as is tradition in Porto, there will be a fireworks show, which will be launched from the City Hall and from several buildings on Avenida dos Aliados. This year, with several surprises and an unprecedented countdown, after 11.55pm. At 12,30am and already as hosts of the arrival of 2017, the music continues with Os Azeitonas, in what will be the last concert of the band with Miguel Araújo, who will exclusively be dedicated to his solo career. As always, Os Azeitonas promise a show full of energy and good disposition and in which will have the main hits of the band, such as “Anda Comigo Ver os Aviões”, “Ray-Dee-Oh” or the latest “Cinegirasol”.
Among the novelties of the New Year's programme are three alternative venues in the surrounding area of Aliados, respectively in Praça de D. João I, Praça dos Poveiros and Praça dos Leões. The aim is to ease the pressure on Aliados and to propose different styles of music to all those who want to celebrate New Year's Eve in the city centre.
Programme:
-Avenida dos Aliados10:30pm-11:50pm Blind Zero
11:55pm Countdown
12:00am-12:15am Pyromusical show
12:30am-2:30am Os Azeitonas-Praça D. João I10:30pm-1:00am DJ Rodrigo Affreixo
1.00am-3:00am DJ Set Holy Nothing
-Praça dos Poveiros10:30pm-1:00am DJ Isidro Lisboa
1:00am-3:00am DJ Set Throes + The Shine
-Praça dos Leões10:30pm-3:00am DJ Sete Magníficos
On December 31st Lisboa dresses up to welcome and to celebrate amongst the New Year friends. Thousands of people fill the city main streets and public squares to celebrate amongst the New Year friends. The Terreiro do Paço will be the giant party hall for the city’s New Year’s celebrations featuring lots of entertainment to mark the passage into the New Year. Lisboa has begun the countdown to its big New Year's Eve night. But this New Year's Eve promises much more. To mark the entry of the New Year Lisboa's skies will light up with a fabulous fireworks display and musical entertainment. Do not make any more plans for New Year ... and enter Lisboa's largest "living room", Terreiro do Paço, with a fabulous view of the River Tagus and the best Portuguese music.
Program
• 30/12
21:30 - Miguel Araújo23:15 - D’js Wilson Honrado / João Vaz
• 31/12
22h00 - Rui Veloso00:00 - A spectacular firework display will light up the sky00:15 - AGIR
Before you visit Lisbon, check "Follow me Lisboa" and discover what´s happening in the Lisboa region during the month of December. Follow Me Lisboa is a monthly tourist Guide for visitors. A bilingual publication in Spanish and English, it is a pocket-sized publication containing the main cultural and other events to interest to the tourist and a complete itinerary to museums, monuments, parks, gardens, hotels and restaurants. Find more about Lisboa region at: - https://www.visitportugal.com/en/destinos/lisboa-regiao - http://www.visitlisboa.com/ - Brochure "Lisbon City Breaks" - Brochure Lisbon: " A whole world to explore"
Going to the Algarveduring the month of December? So discover here what’s happening in the Algarve region. The Algarve is known for its beaches, natural landscapes, bars and golf courses. And for its restaurants, hotels, monuments, and of course, for entertainment.
The offer of entertainment destination is diversified and includes events of public and private partners that invite you to enjoy emotions and traditions, sounds and regional flavors, that the Algarve Tourism organizes in this guide leaflet.
