Month: September 2026

Centro Cultural de Belém hosted a public information session, organised by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, on the new Cultural Patronage framework and Residence Permits for Investment in Culture (ARI).

 

Minister Margarida Balseiro Lopes opened the session, which brought together representatives from a range of cultural institutions and venues across the country.

 

The programme included a presentation of the new Cultural Patronage scheme and a panel dedicated to ARI, which outlined the key aspects of this instrument and its contribution to the implementation of projects in the field of culture.

 

Rita Romão, member of CCB’s Board of Directors, took part in the panel, sharing Centro Cultural de Belém’s experience in developing cultural projects with private investment.

 

 

Over three days, more than 7,000 people visited Centro Cultural de Belém to take part in the Season Opening Party, which marked the start of the 2026_2027 Performing Arts Season from 11 to 13 September.

Shows, performances, talks, music, exhibitions and the CCB Market took over different spaces across CCB, with a programme that extended beyond its venues and auditoriums to CCB Plaza, the Jardim das Oliveiras, the José Saramago Path and MAC/CCB – Museum of Contemporary Art.

Throughout the three days, artists and audiences came together in a programme designed for different generations and different ways of experiencing culture, reinforcing CCB as a place for encounter, discovery and sharing.

The Season Opening Party brought to life the CCB we are committed to building: an open, vibrant and welcoming home, where culture invites participation, promotes knowledge and creates space for encounter and freedom.

Centro Cultural de Belém will host a public information session on 28 September at 2:30 pm, organised by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, about the new Cultural Patronage scheme and Residence Permits for Investment in Culture (ARI).

 

The session will be opened by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Margarida Balseiro Lopes. The programme includes a presentation of the new Cultural Patronage scheme, a panel discussion and a session dedicated to ARI, providing information on the relevant framework and procedures.

 

Rita Romão, member of CCB’s Board of Directors, will take part in the panel dedicated to ARI, which will also present experiences and results of private investment in the cultural sector, highlighting the contribution of this instrument to the implementation of projects in the field of culture.

 

The initiative will also take place on 2 October at 2:30 pm, at the Serralves Foundation in Porto.

CCB hosted the fourth edition of BOOK 2.0 – The Future of Reading, organised by the Portuguese Publishers and Booksellers Association (APEL). Books, literacy, education, democracy and the challenges of technological transformation were at the heart of an event that brought together authors, publishers, policymakers, academics and cultural professionals from several countries.

 

Under the theme “Back to Basics. Back to Books.”, the two-day programme brought together different geographies, generations and fields of knowledge. Sanna Marin, former Prime Minister of Finland, reflected on reading and democracy; Markus Dohle, former CEO of Penguin Random House, addressed the enduring power of books; David Hayman, responsible for the UK’s National Year of Reading 2026, spoke about the need to make reading a national priority; and Luísa Sobral explored the relationship between music, writing and creativity.

 

Other guests at CCB included Nuno Crato, Adolfo Mesquita Nunes, Luís Portela, Alessandra Carra, Joan Tarrida, Emma House, Erin Cox, Joel Halldorf, Mafalda Ribeiro and Daniela Pierre.

 

In her address, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, recalled that reading continues to mean engaging with a different perspective from our own and remaining with it for long enough to understand it.

Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, focused his address on one of the challenges of our time: in a world shaped by artificial intelligence, the risk lies not only in what machines are capable of doing, but also in the possibility that we may forget the value of the human experience from which stories originate.

 

At the close of the morning session on the second day, the President of Portugal, António José Seguro, emphasized the need for more critical and informed readers, calling for a new impetus in reading policies and for the Portuguese language to be safeguarded as an essential part of life in society. The idea of “good books against the algorithm of banality” was a central theme of his address.

 

Digital transformation was also discussed in a conversation with the Minister in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister and for State Reform, Gonçalo Saraiva Matias, while other sessions explored topics such as the attention crisis, new ways of reaching readers and the challenges of making books visible in today’s digital ecosystem.

 

The event was also attended by the Board of Directors of the Centro Cultural de Belém Foundation.

 

By hosting an initiative that brings culture, knowledge, technology and major contemporary challenges into dialogue, CCB reinforces one of the ambitions of its RE-VISITAR 2026–2030 Strategic Plan: to establish itself as a meeting place for art, thought and society, open to the exchange of ideas, debate and different audiences and generations.

 

In a world of algorithms and increasingly fragmented attention, BOOK 2.0 left CCB with one essential idea: to keep reading is also to keep thinking.

MAC/CCB – Museum of Contemporary Art and Architecture Centre is now part of Centro Cultural de Belém’s portfolio of event spaces, expanding the range of options available for corporate and institutional events at CCB.

 

To mark this new addition, on 10 September CCB’s Commercial and Events Department hosted a select group of clients and partners for an exclusive guided tour of José Pedro Croft’s exhibition Reflections, Enclaves, Deviations, led by the artist himself. Held to coincide with the closing of the exhibition, which welcomed more than 30,000 visitors during its run, the initiative offered an opportunity to strengthen relationships and thank clients and partners of the Congress and Meeting Centre for their trust, combining institutional engagement with a cultural experience at CCB.

 

The tour also provided an opportunity to discover the exhibition through José Pedro Croft’s perspective and gain a deeper understanding of some of the ideas and processes that run through his work. Afterwards, guests gathered for a cocktail reception in MAC/CCB’s Grand Hall.

 

With the addition of MAC/CCB, CCB’s Congress and Meeting Centre is expanding its portfolio of event spaces, offering an even broader range of solutions for different formats and contexts.

On 11, 12 and 13 September, celebrate the start of the 2026–2027 Season with us and receive a 20% discount when you sign up for the CCB Card.

 

With the CCB Card, you will enjoy free and unlimited admission to all exhibitions at MAC/CCB – Museum of Contemporary Art and Architecture Centre, a 30% discount on performances produced or co-produced by CCB, free parking on performance days, and exclusive discounts at all shops and restaurants (excluding bookshops).

 

All members are also entitled to one free CCB performance of their choice each year, invitations to openings, exclusive guided tours and other special events, as well as being the first to receive the latest news through a dedicated members’ newsletter.

 

4,500 members and growing — discover all the benefits of the CCB Card.

 

We look forward to seeing you at the Season Opening Party.