Events for the next three months

Opera Season: São Carlos Opera House presents from February 20 to March 1 La Clemenza di Tito, of Mozart. April 2-20 Les Contes d'Hoffman, of Jacques Offenbach. Puccini's Tosca will take the stage May 15-June 7. Bizet's Carmen will be at the Coliseum May 2.

Symphonic Orchestra at CCB - III: The Spirit of England. Under the direction of Lothar Koenigs, the Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa (Portuguese Symphonic Orchestra) features a new performance included in the series The Spirit of England. The programme includes the works Die Hebriden by Mendelssohn, Water Music by Handel, and also A Sea Symphony, the choral symphony Vaughan Williams composed from the poetry by Walt Whitman, comprising the participation of the soloists Ilse Eerens and Mark Stone, besides the São Carlos National Theater Choir. April 8. The IV Edition will be June 24, also in São Carlos.

Music Days in Belém: In its second edition, to be held between 18th and 20th of April, the festival MUSIC DAYS IN BELÉM elected as its line wire “The pleasure of playing together”. If the former edition of 2007 put the spotlight on the piano as a soloist instrument, this year the thematic proposal will gather in Lisbon an exceptional assemblage of musicians and chamber formations. Names such as the violinists Augustin Dumay, Dmitri Makhtin, Denis Goldfeld and Patricia Kopatchinskaja, the pianists Eldar Nebolsin (one of the winners of the 2007 edition), Francesco Tristano Schlimé, David Greilsammer, Sérgio Tiempo and Giovanni Bellucci, the cellists Marc Coppey, Marie Hallynck, Anssi Kartunen and the singers Sunhae Im, João Fernandes and Marina Domashenko, some of them in absolute premiere in Portugal, are side by side with exceptional chamber formations such as the quartets Prazak, New Helsinki Quartet, Tokyo String Quartet, the Leipziger Streichquartett or the outstanding cello octet Octeto Ibérico. The Associated Artist of the Season, Pedro Carneiro, will perform with the Tokyo String Quartet and will conduct the Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa (Portuguese Chamber Orchestra), one of its founders. Two great chamber orchestras, the English Chamber Orchestra and the Neue Hofkapelle of Munich, interchange with three Portuguese orchestral formations, the Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa (Portuguese Chamber Orchestra), the Metropolitana de Lisboa (Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra) and the Divino Sospiro. The Orquestra do Algarve will feature for the first time, conducted by Cesário Costa.

Jazz/Pop/Rock/Brazil
Gilberto Gil will sing at the Coliseum April 17. The great master of Brazilian music will present the show Gil Luminoso.

Sintra Music Festival: See a music or dance performance in a royal palace during the Sintra Festival in June and July. Here you can appreciate some of the most important works of classical music and dance, in romantic and unique surroundings. From May 30 to July 13.

Cool Jazz Festival
Do summer nights, beautiful gardens and excellent music sound like the perfect combination to you? High quality and high mix is the motto of the Cool Jazz Festival that presents leading contemporary singers and instrumentalists in unique locations close to Lisbon. The performances will be held in stunning open-air locations - such as the walled gardens in Mafra, the Estoril Casino's Gardens and the gardens of the Palace of the Marquis of Pombal and Fishing House in Oeiras. Before or after the shows, take the opportunity to learn more about this region. In bygone days, this zone served as the pleasure grounds for kings and nobleman. There is no shortage of attractions - beautiful palaces and museums, busy and quiet beaches, fine restaurants and plenty of amusements. You won’t want to leave! In June, dates to be announced.

For Children: Disney on Ice can be seen in Atlantic Pavillon April 2-6.

Indie Lisboa - International Independent Film Festival 
April 24-May 4 discover new films at Indie Lisboa, Lisbon's International Independent Film Festival. The festival is the best place to discover new artists and trends in world cinema. 

FIMFA - International Festival of Puppets and Animated Forms 
In May and June, FIMFA brings puppets from throughout the world to Lisbon.Professional puppet companies from various countries, of recognised international merit, present their latest creations in an innovative programme, targeted at various publics and age groups.In parallel to the puppet theatre shows, colloquia, exhibitions and workshops are held, related to this theme.

Rock in Rio Lisboa 2008
Rock in Rio-Lisbon is back as 2008’s biggest event. Bela Vista Park will host the third edition in Lisbon of the world’s biggest music and entertainment festival. During a 5-day emotion-packed event, Bela Vista Park will be transformed into a veritable “city of rock”, including over 12 hours of performances per day on the various stages. The “World Stage” will host leading names from international music. The “Electronic Tent” will stage sets by leading national and international DJ’s and VJ’s while the “Hot Stage” will hold alternative concerts by top artists and successful, upcoming bands. In addition to the concerts, families are invited to spend a pleasant day relaxing in the garden areas and enjoying the entertainment activities , including the “Radical Space” - where more adventurous festival-goers can go snowboarding on the real snow track - and the Kids Space offering many children’s activities. May 30-June 8.

Popular Saints - Feast of St. Anthony
Come to the party in Lisbon: on 12th June, the eve of St. Anthony's Day, join in the festivities in the city's historical districts.The neighbourhoods of Alfama, Castelo, Mouraria and the Bairro Alto are filled with music and colour to celebrate the birth in Lisbon of St. Anthony. 

Hermitage Museum in Lisbon
Visit the National Palace of Ajuda and admire unique works of art pertaining to the collections of Saint Petersburg's famous Hermitage Museum. Between October 25, 2007 and February 17, 2008, the D. Luís Gallery of the National Palace of Ajuda in Lisbon, will host a temporary exhibition entitled “Imperial Russia – from Pedro I to Nicolau II”. This exhibition brings together 650 works from the collections of the Hermitage Museum, and will be the largest ever exhibition organised outside Russia by the prestigious Hermitage Museum, including unique works of painting, sculpture, furniture, tapestry, decorative arts and goldsmithery. This will also be the first of a series of three temporary exhibitions, to be held in Portugal until 2009, as a result of an agreement established between the Hermitage Museum and the Portuguese government.

SPORTS

April is the month of International sports competitions in Lisbon.

The Portugal Open is the main international golf competition held in Portugal and is part of the calendar of the PGA European Tour circuit. Contested on Portugal's best golf courses, under a blue sky, it is an opportunity to see well known players. April 3-6.

The Portuguese Motorcycling Grand Prix, a stage on the annual motorcycling circuit for 125 c.c., 250 c.c. and MotoGP, is held April 11 a 13. If you like speed, don't miss this race, which takes place in the region of Estoril, a world-famous beach and important tourist centre.

The Estoril Open, which takes place April 14-20, is one of the rare world tennis events to combine at the same time tournaments that count towards the official classifications of the ATP and the WTA Tour. Holding the two competitions in a single event at the Jamor Tennis Club places the Portuguese tournament at a select level with only 13 other events.

Tours

Sintra, Estoril, Cascais & Cabo da Roca, including helicopter tour

Discover the history and mysteries of magical Sintra, described by Lord Byron as Glorious Eden, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most picturesque regions in Portugal. Visit the romantic Palácio da Pena, by horse-driven carriage, and include a stop at Periquita for the famous queijadas but leave some time for traditional handcraft shopping. Take a breathtaking helicopter tour of Cabo da Roca, continental Europe´s westernmost point and Guincho beach, one of Europe´s best spots for surfing with a visit to the lighthouse, at 140m above sea level. Drive back through the fishing village of Cascais or spend an afternoon shopping at some of the most fashionable boutiques of the Costa de Estoril.

Quinta da Regaleira and Monserrate Palace, Sintra
The origins of the Quinta da Regaleira go back to the beginning of the 17th century. Among its owners, Carvalho Monteiro still holds a special place; with the aid of architect Luigi Manini, he transformed the estate, in the beginning of the 20th century, according to his patriotic ideals, building a small palace in Neo-Manueline style. The estate holds many secrets, as it is full of mythological and esoteric symbols, statues of gods, mysterious wells, gardens and grottos; an entire world open to discoveries and different interpretations. The Palace of Monserrate has an English-influenced mixed style park, started by William Beckford in the late 18th century. Beckford was an exceedingly rich man, famous for his Fonthill estate in England. The waterfall survives from this period. Sir Francis Cook added an exotic Moorish palace in 1856. He employed James Burt to make a series of place-related gardens. They include a Mexican and a Japanese garden. The Palace and Gardens of Monserrate was where the Cook family spent their summers but it is now a destination for visitors to explore. Time spent in the gardens is a priceless adventure. Thanks to Sintra's unique climate, trees from 5 continents coexist and thrive.

Palácio da Fronteira
The Palace was originally built as hunting Pavilion for the first Marquis of Fronteira, João Mascarenhas, in 1640. The main attraction in the Palace is its most beautiful decorative tiled panels depicting some battles of Portugal's history, such as the War of Restoration (Battle room). The tiled panels also include nature scenes (dining room) or various allegories, such as the allegorical scenes of the trumpet-blowing monkeys or the religious figures in the chapel. The dining room is also decorated with frescoed panels and oil portraits by great Portuguese artists. Built in the late 16th century, the chapel is oddly decorated with shells, broken glasses, pieces of porcelain, glazed slabs and stone. According to the legend, the original objects were broken in the inauguration day of the chapel so that they could not be used again. Terraces are prodigally decorated with busts of Portuguese kings, niches, statues and glazed tiles.