Açoteia – Faro Rooftop Festival brings music, art and culture back to the city’s rooftops

For two days, some of the city's most emblematic urban terraces gain a new perspective, transforming themselves into stages open to music, art, culture, sustainability, gastronomy and community — in a celebration of the architectural heritage and identity of the Algarve capital.

The word “rooftop”, of Arabic origin, refers to an open work space on the upper part of the house or on the roof. Over time, many of these spaces were forgotten or converted into storage areas, clotheslines or simply left unused until they became popular as leisure areas, known as terraces or rooftops .

During the two days of the festival, residents and visitors are invited to (re)discover a unique selection of rooftops that are normally inaccessible to the public because they are private spaces or reserved for technical functions of the buildings.

These venues will be exceptionally open and prepared to provide immersive and intimate experiences, with capacities ranging from two to 100 people and stunning views over the city of Faro and the Ria Formosa.

Organized by Faro City Council, in partnership with Faro Municipal Theatre and Ambifaro, and with the collaboration of several entities and associations, the Açoteia Faro Rooftop Festival presents a unique program, with more than 200 activities spread across more than 30 rooftops in the city center.

The event focuses on three main areas of action: culture, sustainability and community, promoting creativity and the revitalization of forgotten spaces.

Samuel Úria, Carolina Torres, Tio Jel and Ricardo Ribeiro will be just some of the artists present at this 4th edition, to delight us with their live performances, as well as DJ sets, concerts by regional artists and bands. The program also includes performances, theater, poetry, art exhibitions, workshops, gastronomic, sensory, sound and audiovisual experiences.

Among the new experiences of this edition, the following stand out:

• A spiritual celebration in the heights of the Carmo Church, where astronomical observation of the stars will also take place;
• Galeria Arco's proposal: «Another Way To Touch The Fruit», a fusion of gastronomy and music, where food comes to life through electrical circuits and a lot of creativity.
• The participatory space “Come Play Blues With Us” at the Faro Boutique Hotel, open to all lovers of this musical genre who want to share their artistic gifts;
• An open-air cinema session at 4:00 am, followed by an Algarve breakfast at 6:00 am, at Fábrica da Cerveja;
• The children's workshop “Create your own totem” on the Adarve da Muralha do Seminário, inspired by the exhibition by artist Tom Leamon.
• The «Artists and Fleas» market, the coolest in the Algarve, will be present at the Mercado Municipal de Faro, where RUA FM will also be present to broadcast the festival live over the two days.

Another new feature of this edition is the participation of Moto Clube Faro , which opens the doors of its headquarters to welcome artists and special guests, and is also the stage for the broadcast of the podcast «Algarve ao Vivo».

The programme also includes the “Açoteia Talks”, promoted by Faro City Council with the support of the Faro 154 Association and curated by the Portuguese Architects Association – Algarve Regional Section. The four talks (two on each day of the festival) will take place at the Tília Hostel, in the early afternoon, and will feature national and international speakers who will discuss current issues concerning cities.

Useful information

Açoteia – Faro Rooftop Festival takes place on the 4th and 5th of July, starting at 6pm. The daily ticket costs 5 euros per person and can be purchased at the entrance to the scheduled rooftops.

Entry is free for children up to and including 12 years old. Children under 16 years old may only enter if accompanied by an adult.