Loulé plays with serious things… but only during Carnival!

At Loulé Carnival Warehouse, preparations are being finalized for the parade on the 11th, 12th and 13th of February, on Avenida José da Costa Mealha, this year with the theme “Discovering the SDGs”.

Dezenas de trabalhadores não têm mãos a medir para a colagem de flores nos carros alegóricos ou para esculpir a esferovite que dá vida a figuras bem conhecidas da política e do desporto. No meio desta azáfama, o evento foi hoje apresentado à Comunicação Social, um momento em que o presidente da Autarquia, Vítor Aleixo, quis explicar, desde logo, a razão do tema escolhido. “É brincar com uma coisa séria, mas o Carnaval é isso mesmo!

Os 17 objetivos de desenvolvimento sustentável das Nações Unidas fazem um apelo ao mundo para mudarmos muitos dos nossos comportamentos do dia-a-dia, em diferentes planos, e nós vamos brincar com isso. É uma forma óbvia de levar informação tão importante, sempre numa perspetiva sempre de brincadeira, a muitos milhares de cidadãos”, considerou.

Dozens of workers have no spare time glueing flowers to the floats or sculpting the Styrofoam that gives life to well-known political and sporting figures. Amid this hustle and bustle, the event was presented to Social Communication today, a moment in which the president of the Municipality, Vítor Aleixo, wanted to explain, from the outset, the reason for the chosen theme. “It’s playing with something serious, but that’s what Carnival is all about!

The United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals call on the world to change many of our day-to-day behaviours, on different levels, and we are going to play with it. It is an obvious way of taking such important information, always from a playful perspective to many thousands of citizens”, he considered.

To reinforce this didactic component, during the race, a publication will be distributed explaining the SDGs and also some “tips” to promote environmental concern, especially “when playing”. The perspective of environmental sustainability is reinforced this year at the event, and there is even something new: the carbon footprint generated over the three days of the parade will be measured, through the collaboration of a company in the environmental sector.

Furthermore, the Loulé Carnival “continues with the same spirit as always” and the social, political and sporting satire continues hand in hand with current affairs. One of the examples is the media “Operation Praetorian”, which involves Fernando Madureira, the leader of the SuperDragões. Even before the case appeared in the press, the team of creatives, led by Paulo Madeira “Palhó” was already designing the car in which “Monkey” appeared on the shoulder of the president of FC Porto. “We are always up to date… Initially, the car had to do with the dispute for the ‘dream seat’ between Pinto da Costa and Villas-Boas. Meanwhile, this case appeared…. Naturally, now the characters involved gain a prominent place in this race”, guarantees the artist.

But other figures will also be on the floats, such as Pedro Nuno Santos, Cristiano Ronaldo, António Guterres or Christine Lagarde and Mário Centeno, with remarkable “episodes” of national and international life.

14 floats, 600 extras and a hundred people in the organization are the numbers for this parade. The planned investment is 470 thousand euros, an amount included in the Municipal Activity Plan of the Budget for 2024. However, the return for the city is much higher “not only due to the dynamics it generates in local commerce, restaurants, hotels, small economies of street vending that are established in these three days, but above all for the joy and fun it brings to people”.

This year, 80,000 visitors are expected and the Municipality’s expectations “are that people will come in large numbers, have fun and take information from here into their lives”.
Direct box office revenue will be donated to local associations and communities that participate in the parade and also to charitable causes.

It should be noted that alongside Loulé, Alte and Quarteira will also have their parades, where there is above all “significant spontaneous popular participation”.

In addition to the parade, on the night of Monday, the 12th, at the Loulé Party Hall, the traditional Gala Ball will take place, this year with the motto “In pursuit of the SDGs”.

Always confirm with the concert hall or promoter the conditions of access, confirmation of the date or time, ticket place of sale, price, and availability.

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