The first edition of the Douro and Porto Wine Festival will take place on September 17 and 18 in Cambres, Lamego, to promote the region's wines and farms and offer “the perfect combination of gastronomy and entertainment.”
Speaking to Lusa on September 9, Diogo Márquez, who is in charge of organizing the event, highlighted the festival attendance of The Gipsy Kings, The Stranglers, Fafá de Belém, Pedro Abrunhosa, Irma and Sons do Douro. According to Diogo Márquez, “A unique sensory experience is expected for all lovers of wine and good music who will gather on the banks of the Douro River.”
Organized in partnership with Lamego City Hall, Turismo do Porto e Norte and Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto (IVDP), the festival also aims to attract foreigners “to come and discover the products of our lands, by enriching this experience with the harvest that takes place at this time.” .
The festival is being promoted in several countries, most notably Germany, England and France.
With a program designed “for everyone and audiences of all ages, the space has several interesting areas, brand activations and two main stages, where national and international artists will perform alongside wine producers from the Douro region, chefs and specialists.”
The first stage is dedicated to music, with names such as Gipsy Kings by Diego Baliardo, Fava de Belem, Banda Filme Variações, Sons do Douro who will give their concert on September 17, Pedro Abronhosa, The Stranglers, Thiago Bettencourt and Irma who will produce. On September 18th.
The second phase focuses on gastronomy and entertainment, and will host a “Culinary Theater” hosted by Chef Miguel Castro e Silva, with live cooking demonstrations, tastings, music and discussions.
JJ Fintem, Antonio Loureiro, Marlen Vieira, Catarina Nascimento, Thiago Bonito, José Guedes, Dirk Niepoort, Fernando Alvim and Miguel Gamero are some of the names that will take the stage on the weekend of the 17th and 18th.
In addition to the main stage programme, the Douro and Porto Wine Festival offers the public other experiences and activities.
This is the case in Premium Space, its food trucks and wine houses: small wooden houses distributed in an organized manner throughout the place, where it is possible to taste, try and buy wines from the most diverse estates in the Douro region.
The festival is designed for those looking for a “more exclusive and sophisticated” experience, featuring a concession area, with exclusive bars, an exclusive dining area and access to the stage, for example.
The festival is held in the commercial port of Cambres in Lamego, and ticket prices range from 30 to 100 euros.
The festival extends over an area of six hectares and has the capacity to accommodate about 20,000 people per day, in addition to more than 100 wine producers from the Douro region and more than 10 chefs and specialists.
In addition, parking will be available on site, also allowing visitors from neighboring municipalities to use free transportation. People traveling by train will also have the option of taking a boat to the festival area.
