Rui Veloso, José Cid and D.A.M.A. are the main heads of the Week of the Sea, one of the oldest summer festivals in the Azores, which will take place from August 2 to 11 on the island of Faial.
“The Week of the Sea is not only a summer festival, but it is also an intergenerational party of encounters and family,” said José Leonardo Silva, president of Horta’s Town Hall, organizer of the festivities, during the presentation of the program, at a press conference in Horta.
The mayor explained to journalists that Sea Week, which this year knows its 44th edition, is not seen as an expense, but as an “investment“: “an investment in the spread of our island, our city, our harbour and our bay. ”
“Our goal is to create an economic dynamic of the celebrations that will allow us to make every euro that we invest, can triple,” said the mayor.
The main Faial municipal fairs usually take place along the Avenida Marginal, but this year, due to the construction of the seafront of the city, Largo do Infante (considered the living room of Horta), will be closed to the public.
“The issue of Largo do Infante puts us in the challenge of consolidating the space of our party, which is that, but also of defying ourselves,” said the mayor of the Chamber, adding that the stage of the Philharmonic will have to be relocated to the Marginal Avenue.
In addition to the heads of the Week of the Sea (Rui Veloso, José Cid and D.A.M.A.), the celebrations also include the presence of Barbara Bandeira, Ludmilla and an international folklore festival with groups from Mexico, Colombia and the United States.
“We also have a lot of local production in the main stages of the party,” said José Leonardo Silva, assuring that about 50 per cent of the musicians who will perform at Semana do Mar are Azoreans.
In addition to the musical performances on land, the Week of the Sea is known mainly for its nautical festival, considered one of the largest in the country, with the presence of hundreds of athletes who travel to Faial to participate in dozens of events, sailing, canoeing and swimming.
Sea Week, one of the oldest summer festivals in the Azores, began 44 years ago when a reception party was organized on the island for participants in an international regatta that linked the port of Portsmouth in England to the island of Faial.
