The new format of the traditional village festivities, presented by the municipality and the Confraternity of Our Lady of Nazaré, includes the following novelties: “the return of the celebrations to the Terreiro [in Sítio], the change of the official name to Festivities in Honor of Our Lady of Nazaré, and the relocation of the major concerts to the Bullring,” the City Council announced in a press release.

The Confraternity of Our Lady of Nazaré, historically linked to the organisation of Marian devotion celebrations, will once again assume a central role in organising the festivities, in partnership with the City Council.

For the mayor, Serafim António (PSD), the return of the festivities to Terreiro “reinforces their origins” and will allow “the recreation of all the liturgical and festive moments that characterised them”.

The celebrations, which will take place between 4 and 13 September, thus return to the square near the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazaré, where they were last held in 1999, and recover a model that, according to the rector of the Sanctuary, Salvatori Forte, quoted in the note, seeks to recover "the spirit of its origin" and, simultaneously, "restore the dignity that belongs to them".

The relocation of the festivities to that location "was conceived taking into account the profound transformation experienced by the Terreiro do Sítio da Nazaré in recent decades," states the president, referring to it as one of the most sought-after spaces in the municipality, subject to strong tourist pressure and marked by the constant presence of visitors, tour operators, local accommodation, commercial establishments and various services associated with the economic activity of that historic area.

According to the mayor, “these dynamics are among the central concerns” of the Confraternity and the municipality, “which is why we sought to find a model that simultaneously respects the space for religious worship, the lives of residents, the established economic activity, and the strong tourist demand that characterizes the location,” intensified in recent years by the growth of the giant waves brand at Praia do Norte and the continuous flow of religious tourism around one of the oldest Marian sanctuaries in Europe.

The new model foresees a reorganisation of the different spaces for the festivities: the food court will be located in Largo da Fonte Velha; the large concerts, still in the contracting phase, will be held in the Bullring; the typical amusements of popular festivals will be transferred to the football field of the Planalto Association; the concerts of a more religious nature will take place on the main stage to be installed in Praça do Terreiro and, in parallel, activities will take place at the Chaby Pinheiro Theatre.

As in previous years, the local community groups will once again be integrated into the festivities, invited to participate in the event in standardised spaces prepared by the municipality.

Parking will be directed to Parque Atlântico, "with transportation for visitors ensured through a shuttle service," the same note informs.

"It is a historic moment" and an opportunity "to restore the dignity lost over the years" to a celebration deeply linked to the centuries-old cult of Our Lady of Nazaré, stated the president of the confraternity, Nuno Batalha, at the presentation of the festivities.