Portugal offers free street operas in Queluz and Sintra and launches Guimarães Allegro classical music festival

On 10 July, the Largo do Palácio Nacional in Queluz hosted a free open‑air concert of Bizet’s Carmen, presented as a staged concert with choir, soloists, dance and narration. The following night, 11 July, the Parque da Liberdade in Sintra presented “Mozart está vivo!”, a theatrical celebration of Mozart that featured excerpts from his operas and used the park’s ring as a stage. Both performances are part of the “Óperas na Rua” programme, which aims to bring opera to public spaces with free entry and adjusted access routes due to a concurrent trail event.

From 9 to 11 July, the Guimarães Allegro festival took place in Guimarães, with concerts in historic venues and, for the first time, in the parishes of Airão São João and Caldas das Taipas. Organized by the Sociedade Musical de Guimarães with municipal support, the festival seeks to decentralise classical music, bring it to streets, squares and gardens, involve young musicians from the local conservatory, and make the art form accessible to a broader public.