Blues music festivals scheduled for Coimbra and Fuzeta

Two distinct blues music festivals are set to take place in Portugal this November.

The Coimbra Blues Festival will return to the Teatro Académico de Gil Vicente on November 5 and 6, 2026. Curated by Paulo Furtado, the event features original commissioned works, including a tribute to Robert Johnson by Ray and Tó Trips, and a performance by Ruby Ann revisiting the repertoire of Ruth Brown. Other scheduled acts include Cabrita and the Spanish group Guadalupe Plata.

In the Algarve region, the inaugural Blues na Ria Festival will be held on November 7 and 8 in Fuzeta, Olhão. Hosted primarily at the Antigo Cinema Topázio, the festival includes performances by F’rrade Xok Blues Band, El Pavoni and Roy Duke, Doug MacLeod, and Blues Vilão. The event, promoted by the Associação Cultural Fusetense, also features musical workshops, improvisation sessions, and educational activities aimed at connecting the genre with the local community and the Ria Formosa landscape.