Organised by the Portimão City Council, with the support of the Algarve Tourism Region, the Sardine Festival will celebrate its 30th edition with a lineup featuring "big names in Portuguese music," offering visitors the opportunity to taste a fish considered the "greatest emblem of local gastronomy," the organisers stated in a press release.

“The Festival returns from 4 to 9 August, with Matias Damásio (4th), Némanus (5th), Átoa (6th), Cuca Roseta (7th), Fernando Daniel (8th) and Xutos e Pontapés (9th)”, revealed the organisation, two months before the start of the festival, confident that they have prepared an “eclectic and suitable for all tastes” lineup.

The official opening will be marked on 4 August with a “Recreation of the Sardine Unloading at Cais Gil Eanes”, the municipality added, stressing that this is an activity that has been “gaining prominence over the years” and “contextualises the importance of fishing and sardines” for the municipality and for promoting the region as a tourist destination.

The Algarve council also highlighted that the Sardine Festival is a sustainable event, which in its last edition allowed for the "recycling of 9.3 tons of materials," including organic waste (7,608 kilograms), plastic and metal packaging (660 kilograms), paper and cardboard (695), and glass (313).

The organisation has launched an appeal to young people aged 18 to 30 to register as volunteers for the Sardine Festival – with shifts between 6 pm and midnight or between 7 pm and 1 am, dinner provided by the organisation, and a daily allowance of 35 euros – until 30 June, through the municipality's website.

The local authority recalled that the Sardine Festival was first held in 1985 and, despite “some interruptions”, has become a “flagship event in the Algarve” over the past 30 years.

Held during the peak tourist season in Portimão and the surrounding region, the Sardine Festival expects to attract thousands of national and international visitors to the city of Portimão to eat grilled sardines, listen to Portuguese music, and see artists such as Matias Damásio, Némanus, Átoa, Cuca Roseta, Fernando Daniel, and Xutos e Pontapés on stage.

Organised by the Portimão City Council, the Festival "combines local identity with musical entertainment and the tasting of traditional sardines," and takes place in a venue located "in a privileged space next to the Arade River."