On 18 September, Os Pontos Negros, Cassete Pirata, David Bruno, and Mika will take the main stage in the meadow area of Santiago Urban Park in Viseu; on the evening of Saturday, the 19th, it will be the turn of Ganso, Samuel Úria, Delfins, and UB40 featuring Ali Campbell to perform.

For this inaugural edition of Rock & Dão, promoters expect many festival-goers from both home and abroad, drawn by music, traditional gastronomy, and the region's wines.

"It is a music festival, but also a cultural one; gastronomy and wine are culture—they are part of our culture. They are joined by other cultures that form part of the festival's surprises, particularly on the secondary stage," said festival director Pedro Morais Leitão today during the event's presentation session.

The idea "has been around for a while but has now gained momentum due to various factors, ranging from logistics to availability." The event aims to "showcase Viseu and the region, putting it on the map for both the festival circuit and the local community," said Pedro Morais Leitão.

"It is a festival that really stands out from the norm. It is geared towards high-quality international tourism, and we want to put Viseu on the global map," emphasised Pedro Morais Leitão.

Chef Luís Almeida and winemaker João Oliveira are curating the gastronomy and wine program to pair the music with "the best of what is made and produced in the Dão region," featuring invited chefs and producers.

“Those not invited this year will be invited to future editions. The idea is for producers to be valued and to see a financial return from their presence” at the festival, he noted.

In a venue with a “maximum capacity of around 10,000 people, the meadow area along the Santiago radial road will be closed off for the event and will feature two stages: the main stage for concerts and a secondary stage for local artists, which will be active from the moment doors open at 5:00 PM until the bands begin, as well as during set changes.”

Offering a distinctive sensory experience, Rock & Dão celebrates contemporary lifestyle, integrating gastronomic areas, social spaces, and experiences dedicated to promoting Dão wines.

Institutional partners include the Dão Regional Wine Commission (CVR), Viseu City Hall, and Turismo Centro Portugal. The latter’s director, Pedro Pontes, advocated for supporting events like this festival, which “highlights culture across two very interesting and important dimensions: music and wine, the latter being of great significance to the region.”

Meanwhile, during the event's presentation, Viseu Mayor João Azevedo wished the festival “many years” of success, “confident that experience will bring maturity” to the organising team, whom he praised for an initiative that puts the city and region on the country’s “event map.”

“This festival will be a major event for Viseu, part of a schedule being assembled for 2026, extending through 2029, that will define the year, and especially the month of September,” João Azevedo highlighted.

Tickets are already available, with prices currently starting at €35 for a single day and €60 for a two-day pass, though “ticket prices will go up later.”