Summer Ends But The City Doesn't Stop: Lisbon Cultural Calendar in September

When September comes, we shake the sand off our slippers and try to remember what day of the week it is. Holidays are over, schools are open, inboxes are overflowing again. Although the city seems to be slowly returning to its familiar routine, Lisbon's cultural agenda has no intention of slowing down.

This period, when the weather becomes pleasantly cooler in the evenings and the tourist crowds retreat, is actually the best time of the year to enjoy the city. From open-air cinemas to street festivals, from ceramic workshops to exhibitions, I have compiled the unmissable events in Lisbon in September:

MOTELX Film Festival

Date: 3 – 13 September

Cinema Sao Jorge

4.6 star rating4.6

🍿 Cinema Hall

open

· Closing time: 10:00

Venue: Cinema São Jorge and Cinemateca Portuguesa - Museu do Cinema

Entry: Ticket prices are announced according to the event program.

For those who love horror and thriller cinema, MOTELX is back in town. Bringing the best of international genre cinema while supporting local talent since 2006, the festival offers a truly dark and immersive atmosphere with workshops, master classes and parties, as well as film screenings.

Festa do Avante!

Date: 4 – 6 September

Avenida Quinta da Atalaia

Venue: Avenida Quinta da Atalaia (Amora)

Admission: 3-day permanent entrance ticket €35 in advance (range €32 – €50 at the door).

It's an event that's hard to fit into a single mould: Part music festival, part fair, part political meeting. In this giant organization organized by the Portuguese Communist Party since 1976, there is a huge variety from theater to dance, from local delicacies to discussion panels and concerts. An extraordinary weekend option for those who want to breathe a different atmosphere and local sociology.

Festas na Rua (Street Festivals)

Date: 4 September – 4 October

Praça do Comércio

4.7 star rating4.7

📍Plaza

open

Venue: Various open spaces of the city (Praça do Comércio, MERCADO DO FORNO DO TIJOLO, Monsanto, etc.)

Entry: Free

A series of free events spanning the streets, squares and parks of Lisbon for a month. It is a great opportunity to explore the city with street music, with open-air cinemas in the squares, DJ performances in the Monsanto forest, intimate concerts and orchestra recitals in Benfica.

Márcia Xavier: “Fotossíntese” Photography Exhibition

Date: Until September 5

Gallery 111

4.7 star rating4.7

🎨 Art gallery

open

· Closing time: 7:00

Venue: Galeria 111

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 – 19:00

Entry: Free

Personal exhibition of Brazilian artist Márcia Xavier; He examines the connections between the human body and the plant world with cyanotype, photogram and monotype prints. An impressive visual selection that deals with the forms of nature and the transformation of light in a calm, profound language.

Clay Club (Clay Clube) Ceramics Workshop

Date: 7, 14, 21 and 28 September

Venue: Prisma Studio (Intendente)

Hours: 19:00 – 21:00

Fee: 15 – 20€

It's perfect for those who want to get away from the screen on Monday evenings and produce something by hand. In these workshops, which include clay, materials and firing, you can learn basic techniques and create your own design; Your works are delivered a few weeks after they are baked.

Montijo Antique and Flea Market

Date: 12 and 26 September

Venue: Praça da República (Montijo)

Hours: 09:00 – 17:00

Entry: Free

It is a nice route for those who want to cross the river and take a nostalgic market tour. You can take the ferry from Cais do Sodré to Montijo and spend a pleasant day among records, antique objects and vintage pieces that have not yet suffered from the popular price inflation in the center of Lisbon. It is held on the second and last Saturday of every month.

Lisbon Ceramics Market

Date: September 16

Praça das Flores

Venue: Praça das Flores

Hours: 10:00 – 16:00

Entry: Free

A warm, friendly open-air market where local and independent ceramic artists showcase their handcrafted designs. A sweet meeting point where you can chat with artists and find an original mug or decorative piece over coffee.

Exhibition of Puppet Makers in Portugal in the 21st Century

Date: Until September 27

Puppet Museum

4.6 star rating4.6

🏛️ Museum

open

· Closing time: 6:00

Venue: Puppet Museum (Museu da Marioneta)

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 – 18:00

Entrance: 5€ (guided tour on 12 September at 11:00 is 6€)

A creative exhibition that sheds light behind the scenes of Portuguese puppet theatre, how traditional craftsmanship is blended with contemporary materials and ideas. The pieces exhibited along with design sketches and construction techniques clearly show how layered a craft puppetry is.

“Terra Crua” Architecture and Art Exhibition

Date: Until October 11

Centro Cultural De Belem

4.6 star rating4.6

🖼️ Cultural center

open

· Closing time: 7:00

Venue: MAC / Centro Cultural De Belém

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 – 18:30

Entry: Free

The story of raw soil from ancient building techniques to modern sustainable architecture. It offers a thought-provoking perspective on how we should build cities in the future, through experiments with soil collected from Lisbon's construction sites and local building traditions.

Europe's Largest LEGO Models Exhibition

Date: Until January 10

Cordoaria Nacional

4.3 star rating4.3

🖼️ Art museum

open

· Closing time: 1:00

Venue: Cordoaria Nacional

Entrance: 11 – 12€

More than 120 giant models built with approximately 15 million parts in an area of ​​2,000 square meters. From giant airplane models to landmark buildings, from popular movie scenes to historical portraits, it is a very entertaining and impressive visual feast for both children and adults.

Source: Ellis Dixon / Atlas Lisboa