Portugal’s oldest magic festival brings free shows to the streets of Coimbra.
Encontros Mágicos, the oldest magic festival in Portugal, returns to Coimbra from September 16-21, for six days of intense and diverse programming that promises to surprise and thrill diverse audiences.
Organised by the City of Coimbra and produced by Luís de Matos Produções, the festival was presented on September 9 at a press conference in the Salão Nobre dos Paços do Município (Main Hall of the City Hall) by Mayor José Manuel Silva, the Director of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Maria Carlos Pêgo, and the event’s producer and artistic director, Luís de Matos. They highlighted the International Magic Festival’s role in the city’s cultural scene and its international reach.
In its 29th edition, Encontros Mágicos is organised into five major programming areas, reflecting the festival’s diversity and scope. Street Magic will spread throughout Coimbra’s urban centre, filling streets, squares, and gardens with performances that invite unexpected encounters with the magicians. Magic in the Region will bring the festival to four non-urban parishes—Eiras and São Paulo de Frades, Brasfemes, Torres do Mondego, and Trouxemil—reinforcing the event’s decentralised nature. The already renowned Magic School, directed by Spaniard Paulino Gil, reopens its doors to children aged 6 to 12, offering different levels of learning and a special session dedicated to children and youth from APPDA – the Portuguese Association for Autism and Developmental Disorders. The festival’s more human and supportive dimension is realised through Solidarity Magic, which will bring performances to the Coimbra Pediatric Hospital and the Coimbra Prison. Finally, the International Magic Galas, which will take place on September 19th and 20th at the São Francisco Convent and hosted by Luís de Matos, bring together some of the world’s most renowned artists, promising moments of great impact and celebration of the magical arts.
The 2025 edition of Encontros Mágicos will feature 12 companies from 9 countries, bringing together some of the most talented and internationally recognised names in magical arts. Guest artists include the British Ben Woodward and Steve Faulkner, the Canadian Billy Kidd, the Argentine duo Daba & Cielo, the Italian Flip Mattia, and the Spaniards Pepe Lirrojo, Paulino Gil, and Manolo y Mindanguillo. Lucas Kaminski and Maurice Grange will be from Germany, while the United States is represented by the duo Mind 2 Mind. The program also includes the South Korean Read Chang and the Portuguese Zé Mágico and Luís de Matos, the festival’s artistic director.
Street Magic will take place from Tuesday to Sunday, at various times throughout the day (10:30 am, 12 pm, 3 pm, and 6 pm), livening up some of the city’s most iconic spaces, such as Praça 8 de Maio, Rua Ferreira Borges, Praça do Comércio, Rua Visconde da Luz, Avenida D. Sesnando Davides, Largo da Portagem, Praça das Bandeiras do Convento São Francisco, Mercado Municipal D. Pedro V, and Parque Linear Vale das Flores.
In the spirit of decentralisation initiated in 2015, the festival will also bring performances to four parishes in the municipality: Torres do Mondego (on the 17th, at 6 pm), Trouxemil (on the 18th, at 3 pm), Eiras (on the 19th, at 3 pm), and Brasfemes (on the 20th, at 3 pm).
The already renowned School of Magic, which celebrates its 10th edition this year, will take place at the São Francisco Convent from September 16th to 20th. Classes, taught by Paulino Gil and aimed at children ages 6 to 12, are free but limited to 20 participants. Prior registration is required by phone at 239 857 191 or by email at bilheteira@coimbraconvento.pt.
The International Magic Galas will take place on September 19th and 20th at 9:30 pm in the Grand Auditorium of the São Francisco Convent. Tickets are available through Ticketline and at the Convent box office.
The festival officially concludes on Sunday, the 21st, at 11 am, with a grand show at Vale das Flores Park, bringing together all participating magicians. In adverse weather conditions, this final session will be held in the D. Afonso Henriques Room at the São Francisco Convent.
In 1992, the Coimbra City Council organised the 1st Coimbra International Magic Festival. After a five-year hiatus, in 1998, the festival was reborn as part of the larger, more comprehensive event we now know as ENCONTROS MÁGICOS, no longer consisting of a single International Magic Gala, but rather spanning six days of intense programming.
The full program for Encontros Mágicos 2025 can be found on the website: https://www.encontrosmagicos.pt/.
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