Category: Notícia

From 3 to 25 July, Centro Cultural de Belém will host the 2026 edition of the Millennium Festival ao Largo.

For more than three weeks, CCB Square will present a programme celebrating some of the most significant expressions of the performing arts, transforming Lisbon’s summer evenings into a meeting place for audiences and artistic creation. Staying true to its spirit of accessibility and collective celebration, the Festival is back in a new setting, inviting everyone to take part in one of the city’s most iconic cultural events.

Organised through a partnership between OPART and Centro Cultural de Belém Foundation, this edition reinforces both institutions’ commitment to broadening access to culture and highlights the strength of collaboration between public cultural organisations. The Festival’s 18th edition features 11 performances across classical music, opera and dance, as well as three activities specially designed for families, all offered free of charge and open to audiences of all ages.

Present at this morning’s press launch were the Boards of Directors of OPART, Centro Cultural de Belém Foundation and Millennium bcp, together with the Artistic Directors of Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, Companhia Nacional de Bailado, and Victor Córdon Studios.

The Festival venue will have seating for 950 spectators. Tickets must be collected at CCB from 7:00 pm onwards on the day of each performance. For your convenience, the use of public transport is recommended when travelling to the Festival.

 

Getting to CCB

 

• Tram: 15E (recommended option) – On 3, 4 and 5 July, the last 15E tram departs from both ends of the line (Algés and Praça da Figueira) at 01:00 am. Trams run every 20 minutes between midnight and 01:00 am and have a capacity of up to 350 passengers. We recommend parking in the public car parks at Alcântara or Algés and taking the 15E tram to CCB.
• Bus: 728, 714, 727, 729 and 751.
• Train: Cascais Line, Belém station.

 

The full programme is available at www.festivalaolargo.pt and www.ccb.pt/millennium-festival-ao-largo-2026. The English version will be available soon.

The Centro Cultural de Belém Foundation (FCCB) and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, through the Cultural Promotion Fund, signed a protocol establishing an annual funding line of €500,000 for the acquisition of artworks for the collection of the Centro Cultural de Belém’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC/CCB). This decision, approved by the Council of Ministers, will enable the MAC/CCB to strengthen the development of its own heritage collection and implement a consistent acquisitions policy, consolidating the museum’s national and international reputation.

 

The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, the Chair of the Administrative Council of the Cultural Promotion Fund and Head of GEPAC, Lurdes Camacho, the members of the CCB Board of Directors, and the Artistic Director of the MAC/CCB, Nuria Enguita.

 

On the occasion, the Minister of Culture underlined that the CCB has all the conditions required to establish itself as a cultural institution that is “unique and singular”, stressing the need for continued financial investment to ensure the fulfilment of its mission.

 

According to the Chairman of the CCB Board of Directors, the creation of this new annual funding line for the acquisition of artworks recognises that “the MAC/CCB is today a central institution within the Portuguese and European artistic ecosystem, with a truly singular position in the field of contemporary art”. Nuno Vassallo e Silva further added that the signing of this protocol represents “confidence in public cultural institutions and in their capacity to serve the country through the creation of knowledge, heritage preservation, education and artistic freedom”.

 

The Artistic Director of the MAC/CCB also stated that “only the establishment of a strong and stable public collection, in articulation with the collections on deposit, will allow the MAC/CCB to establish a consistent presence within international museum networks”. Nuria Enguita also announced the creation of the CCB acquisitions committee, chaired by the Artistic Director of the MAC/CCB and composed of Amanda Carneiro, curator at the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) and curator of the 2027 São Paulo Biennial, François Quintin, Director of the Collection Lambert (Avignon), Antónia Gaeta, independent curator and producer, and Marta Mestre, curator at the MAC/CCB.

 

© Photo: Fernando Donadeli / MCJD

On 29 April, the CCB Congress and Meetings Centre hosted a visit from the Portuguese Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, and the Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities, Emídio Sousa, as part of the forum Portugal, Nação Global.

 

They were received by Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Chairman of the Centro Cultural de Belém Foundation’s Board of Directors, together with board members Rita Romão and Rui Morais, and took part in the opening of a meeting positioned as a strategic platform for intermunicipal governance structures, creating opportunities for economic diplomacy and the active attraction of investment.

 

The initiative brings territorial decision-makers into direct contact with qualified and motivated investors, based on a tested methodology and measurable results. As such, it represents a solid step towards building a Portugal that is more connected to the world and better prepared for the future.

 

The event took place at the Centro Cultural de Belém on 29 and 30 April.

 

 

Photo © Gonçalo Borges Dias/GPM

In April, the Management Board and the Board of Directors of the Centro Cultural de Belém Foundation met for a working session dedicated to the institution’s strategic alignment, at a particularly significant moment marked by the presentation of the CCB’s RE-VISITAR strategic plan for the 2026–2030 period.

 

The agenda also included a visit to the exhibition Reflexos, Enclaves e Desvios by José Pedro Croft, currently on display at the MAC/CCB. This element brought the institutional discussion into direct contact with contemporary artistic creation.

 

The meeting marked an important moment of dialogue, bringing together different perspectives on the future of the CCB Foundation alongside close engagement with the current programme, in an exercise of strategic thinking grounded in cultural practice.

On 15 April, the Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB) presented its strategic plan for 2026–2030, “RE-VISITAR”, which seeks to redefine the institution as a space for encounter between creation, thought and society, reinforcing its cultural centrality in Lisbon, Portugal and Europe.

 

Starting from the idea of “looking again”, the plan recognises the need to rethink practices and renew the relationship between society and the arts, within a European context marked by transformation and uncertainty. At national level, the development of the Belém–Tejo axis creates an opportunity to strengthen the CCB’s role as a forum for thought and experimentation.

 

The document is the result of a collaborative process involving stakeholders, the community and internal teams, combining strong institutional foundations with a commitment to diversity and change. Its purpose centres on the valuing of art, artists and audiences, affirming values such as freedom and diversity.

 

The vision sets out a CCB with a strong capacity to attract national and international audiences. Its mission defines the CCB as a space for experience and exchange between creation and society, supported by values such as hospitality, diversity, participation and knowledge.

 

The strategy is structured around three main strands: European Culture, strengthening international positioning and academic and artistic connections; New Audiences, focused on engaging younger generations and renewing the visitor experience; and Territorial Curatorship, which seeks to redefine the CCB within the city and strengthen the Tejo–Belém cultural ecosystem.

 

The plan responds to new audience expectations, prioritising accessible, engaging and high-quality experiences. Its implementation is based on strengthening infrastructure, ensuring economic sustainability, updating technology and developing partnerships.

 

In summary, “RE-VISITAR” proposes a more open, international and engaged CCB, affirming culture as a force for freedom, diversity and the future.

Over the weekend of 28 February and 1 March, visiting the Centro Cultural de Belém will carry a special meaning. All ticket revenue from MAC/CCB – Museum of Contemporary Art and Architecture Centre, and from Mahler’s Das klagende Lied concert will be donated to the Association of Philharmonic Bands of the Municipality of Leiria and to Sport Operário Marinhense.

These two cultural associations, deeply rooted in their local communities, were recently affected by Storm Kristin, which caused extensive damage to their facilities and disrupted the continuity of their regular activities.

Mahler’s Das klagende Lied concert takes place in partnership with OPART and the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos. This collaboration underlines the importance of solidarity between cultural institutions, particularly at moments when it is essential to support those who work every day to sustain culture and widen access to artistic creation.

This charitable initiative stems from a sincere desire to ensure that the work carried out by these associations within their communities can continue with the same dedication, closeness and impact.

 

Thanks to the public’s response and to the dedication of the CCB teams, a total of €32,705.20 was raised.

CCB is grateful to everyone who contributed to this act of solidarity.

On 2 February, the Centro Cultural de Belém Foundation (FCCB) and Museus e Monumentos de Portugal (MMP) signed an institutional cooperation agreement establishing the transfer, on loan, of works from the Ellipse Collection to the FCCB.

Integrated into the State Contemporary Art Collection (CACE) since November 2023, the Ellipse Collection is one of the core holdings of the country’s largest public collection of contemporary art.

Under this agreement, MAC/CCB will have preferential access to works from the Ellipse Collection, ensuring a continued public presentation, a consistent programme line, and greater international projection of the public collection.

The protocol now signed strengthens institutional cooperation between the FCCB and MMP, recognising MAC/CCB as a central hub for contemporary art in Portugal.

The Board of Directors of Centro Cultural de Belém, together with Atelier O Risco, presented this Monday to the Vice President of Lisbon City Council the main outlines of the project for the construction of Modules 4 and 5.

This moment of sharing reinforced institutional alignment and highlighted the strategic importance of this development for the city. The project resumes and extends the original architectural layout conceived in the late 1980s by the architects Vittorio Gregotti and Manuel Salgado, authors of the CCB’s original master plan.

From the outset, the initial project envisaged the construction of Modules 4 and 5, alongside the existing Modules 1, 2 and 3, which house the Congress and Meeting Centre, the Performing Arts Centre and the MAC/CCB.

The Minister for Culture, Youth and Sport, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, spent part of 15 December at the Centro Cultural de Belém, where she had the chance to see at close hand the work carried out by the various departments.

The visit included moments of open conversation with the teams, focusing on day to day challenges and on the projects planned for 2026. There was a genuine sense of exchange, with ideas flowing naturally and priorities taking shape through dialogue.

The day came to a close with the award ceremony for the AICA/Ministry of Culture/Millennium bcp Visual Arts and Architecture 2024 Prizes, which honoured the artist Júlia Ventura and the architect Pedro Domingos.

 

 

The Centro Cultural de Belém Foundation has secured funding of 2.5 million euros under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, within the investment programme “RE C04 i02 – Cultural Heritage”. The goal is to carry out a set of strategic projects that will renew and enhance its infrastructures.

The Financing Agreement was signed on the 10 July and establishes that all investments must be completed by the 30 June 2026.

This full support, covering one hundred per cent of the eligible total value excluding VAT, will be directed towards interventions that promote energy efficiency, technological modernisation and the safeguarding of built cultural heritage. These measures ensure that the CCB continues to affirm itself as one of the country’s leading cultural centres.

“This is a moment of great significance for the Centro Cultural de Belém Foundation. Securing this funding acknowledges the importance of our work and the heritage value of the CCB. Through these interventions, we address long identified needs within our teams, ensuring that the CCB remains fully aligned with its cultural, institutional and civic mission. We continue to uphold the levels of quality, comfort and innovation that our audience and our partners expect and deserve.”

Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the CCB Foundation.

 

Projects with a direct impact on cultural activity

The planned interventions focus on several structural areas of the CCB complex:

 

• Installation of HVAC in the MAC/CCB, improving thermal and environmental conditions through the replacement and modernisation of climate control systems. This includes replacing the cold and hot water circulation pumps with new equipment that consumes significantly less energy, approximately sixty five per cent less.
• Centralised technical management of the MAC/CCB, renewing monitoring and control systems with the aim of achieving both energy and functional optimisation. This involves implementing a new platform for data collection and energy performance analysis, guiding the building towards its carbon emission reduction targets.
• LED stage and architectural lighting in the auditoriums, upgrading the technical and artistic lighting of the CCB’s auditoriums, together with the replacement of electrical panels and dimmers. The new architectural lighting in the Grand Auditorium will consume four times less energy, resulting in a considerable reduction in energy use.
• Acquisition of lighting and audiovisual equipment, investing in cutting edge technology for the Conference Centre and other programming spaces. This will provide greater versatility and improved technical quality for events, while continuing the technological transition to more efficient solutions.

 

These projects will be carried out through public tenders, which have already been published, ensuring complete transparency and competitiveness in the procurement process.

 

Heritage enhancement

This funding is part of the Culture component of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, which seeks, among other aims, to renew emblematic cultural facilities and adapt them to contemporary challenges, particularly environmental sustainability and digital transition.

The intervention at the CCB, supported by the Cultural Heritage Safeguard Fund, is a clear sign of the value placed on the CCB’s role as a space for creation, enjoyment and preservation of culture.

Beyond the technical dimension, the investments now approved reinforce the Foundation’s public mission by ensuring better conditions for welcoming artists, audiences and institutional partners, both national and international.

The CCB expresses its gratitude to all its employees, whose professionalism, dedication and vision made this moment possible. The implementation of these projects will be carried out with the same rigour and excellence that have shaped the institution’s history since its foundation.