Portugal’s Secretary of State for Culture hopes that the second edition of the ‘365 Algarve’ programme, designed to boost the region’s cultural agenda during the low season, will attract “more people” than its predecessor.
“Our expectations are that this edition will attract a larger audience and that all the partnerships that were established last year will be strengthened,” Miguel Honrado told Lusa news agency on the day the programme was officially launched in Loulé.
To make sure attendance numbers grow, there has been an effort to organise more “anchor events” – in other words, events that are large and attractive enough to lure more people.
The highlight of the ‘365’ programme is ‘LUZA’, the Algarve International Festival of Light, a new event in Loulé that aims to put the region on the map of the world’s biggest light art festivals this November.
Other events include Alcoutim’s surprise-hit Contraband Festival (March 23-25), the Algarve Jazz Gourmet Moments in Lagos (May 25-27) and the Lavrar o Mar project, which will feature many “off the beaten track” cultural events.
The programme’s theme this year is ‘A Territory of Sun for the Arts’. According to organisers, the goal is to “improve the holiday experience of the Algarve during the low-season, and ensure a more sustainable destination that is able to attract tourists all year round”.
