Festivals in Funchal

Festivals:

Funchal certainly has its fair share of fiestas. Here, as opposed to other areas of Madeira the city not only celebrates the importance of traditional patrons and saints, but also has many contemporary international festivals. Funchal has festivals for jazz, wine and even a festival celebrating the city itself. It is also home to the mighty Carnival, which is close to second only to the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro in its magnitude. A trip to the Funchal Carnival is a chance to really immerse yourself in local sound, colour and spectacle, as garish dancers run through the streets and huge float parades pass through the town. Whether it’s a religious festival or simply on that celebrates a more artistic aspect of modern life, expect the same ground rules – eating, drinking, partying and dancing till dawn! Whenever you choose to visit Funchal, there’s usually always something being celebrated by both tourists and locals throughout the year.

Carnival in Funchal

The Madeira Carnival is the biggest of its kind in Europe. It’s really not to be missed, and if you’re staying in Funchal during Carnival, there is no way it can be avoided either! The opening parade takes on the Saturday and is a feast of colour, sound and movement. It’s a truly amazing chance for photographers to capture the happy madness that is Carnival. The second parade takes place on a Tuesday and floods the streets with an equal cacophony of sound and colour. Both parades have a route through the city centre, ending up at the Municipal Square. Do not miss this!

When: usually between last week of February to early March

Funchal Flower Festival

This fiesta takes place ever two years and is a celebration and exposition of the flowers of Madeira . Filling the centre of Funchal with floats displaying the flora both cultivated and imported to the island. Here, giant floats are filled with garlands, and fresh cut flowers line the streets of the city. Also there are a great many performances from local folk musicians. The fiesta ends with everyone in Funchal gathering in the Praça do Município square and building a giant wall of flowers for hope and protection in Funchal through the coming year.

When: around the 3rd week of April

Festas da Sé & Festa dos Santos Populares

This predominantly religious group of festivals which takes place in the parish of Sé last for the best part of June. Predominantly local festivals, they celebrate Santo Antonio (St. Antony), São João (St. John) and São Pedro (St Peter). Here, expect a great deal of dancing, local music, fireworks and religious procession carrying the images of the saints through the streets. These religious festivals are often a fantastic chance to observe the local culture away from the tourists and given their subjects are often no less crazy than other more contemporary festivals. Food (the local delicacy of the black-scabbard fish has to be tried!) and wine are served throughout on market stalls, but beware, these locals party pretty hard, so don’t expect to sleep before the sun comes up.

When: normally between 12th – 19th June

Atlantic Fireworks Festival

This amazing fireworks festival that sees competing Madeiran cities pitch themselves in a pyrotechnic battle to outdo each other. Head down to the Funchal harbour and grab a seat at one of the many bars for a chance to see some truly mind-blowing fireworks displays. Also, the festival plays host to many Madeiran musicians which play at cafes and squares all through Funchal. The fireworks displays take place every Saturday and are accompanied by regional music played by a live orchestra.

When: June

Feast of Our lady of Monte

This island wide festival for the patron saint of Monte is another big event in Funchal’s calendar. Here, expect see the crowds trailing through the streets in a citywide procession complete with fireworks, music, dancing and drinking. A great opportunity to sample a little local culture, a little local food and more than a little local music!

When: 14th – 15th August

Madeira Wine Festival

The island’s wine industry is celebrated throughout the city of Funchal with grape treading, food stalls, wine-tasting and local music. Expect some fierce competition from the locals, as regional vineyards and producers head to the city in a bid to outdo each other.

When: usually only the first week of September

                    

The Christmas Lights and New Year’s Eve Fireworks

From late November until January, the streets of Funchal are draped in a multitude of twinkling lights. This beautiful spectacle draws in crowds from all over the island. Bars, cafes and restaurants glow red, blue and green and the city’s squares and hung with colourful motifs regaling the island’s history. They really go all-out in Funchal. The celebrations encompass Christmas and New Year’s Eve and go right up to epiphany on January 6th. Musicians play on open-air stages and food vendors serve wine and local delicacies to the thronging crowds. The celebrations reach a climax on New Year’s Eve when a chain of fireworks are set off all at once from fifty locations across the city. This event is so huge that the 2006’s fireworks display entered the Guinness World Records.

When: 25the November – 6th January