Under the motto "Leisure is the scene," the initiatives, with free admission, are organised by the Évora 2027 Association, which manages the ECoC, and aim to start the "365-day countdown" to the official start of Évora_27.

"From morning to night, we celebrate this symbolic date with a full day of free programming dedicated to Leisure and the launch of the public petition to establish a National Leisure Day," highlighted the Évora_27 management association in a statement.

According to the organisation, the highlight of the day's program is the "unique concert, created for the occasion," with "original lyrics and music," which brings together artists from different musical genres and takes place at 9:00 pm in the Arena d'Évora.

On stage will be Buba Espinho with João Direitinho (from the band Átoa) and the Ourique Children’s Choir, Duarte with Cantares de Évora, Cláudia Pascoal with Chocalheiros de Vila Verde de Ficalho and Cantares de Évora, and Valas with Tozé Bexiga.

Mafalda Veiga with the Vidigueira Choir, Helena Caldeira with Surma, Vozes de Abril, who perform songs by Luísa Sobral, and Laz Hay with the Filarmónica Liberalitas Julia are also among the artists who will take to the stage.

Earlier, at 11:00 AM, at the Évora Town Hall, a ceremony will be held to collect the first signatures for a public petition to establish a National Leisure Day, a typically Alentejo expression on which the CEC (European Convention) is based.

The Évora 2027 Association indicated that it will promote signature collection to bring to the attention of Members of Parliament the establishment of a National Leisure Day, to be celebrated annually in Portugal on 6 February.

According to the promoters, the initiative aims to recognise leisure as "an antidote to the continuous acceleration of contemporary life rhythms."

"The appreciation of leisure thus represents a contribution to a more balanced, sustainable and humanised society," they emphasised.

The program also includes, at 5:00 pm, the inauguration of an urban art installation in Praça do Giraldo, considered Évora's "living room," and, at 6:30 pm, a show at the Teatro Garcia de Resende featuring comedian Guilherme Geirinhas.

On Saturday, at 11:00 am, at the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation auditorium in Évora, the conference "Beyond the title, what does it mean to be a European Capital of Culture?" is scheduled, with Else Christensen-Redžepović, a specialist from the European Commission.

Following this, at 11:30 am, in the same space, a roundtable discussion will take place with representatives from the Portuguese European Capitals of Culture: José Luís Arnaut (Lisbon 1994), Teresa Lago (Porto 2001), and Carlos Martins (Guimarães 2012).

The official opening of Évora_27 is scheduled for 6 February 2027.