The Gift with the Amália Hoje project, aerial acrobatics with planes, fireworks and laser projection in the sky and sea, Street Food Without Borders, a Pop Art Parade, Paderne Medieval – these are just some of the main ingredients of Carpe Nox, the Albufeira's end of year program, which this time lasts for five days, from December 28th to January 1st.
It will be a “stopping your breath” New Year's Eve, guaranteed João Costa, from the company TavolaNostra, producer of the event for the Albufeira City Council, at the presentation that took place yesterday in the municipality's main hall. The threat of rain forced the venue to be changed, as the performance was scheduled to take place at the Miradouro do Pau da Bandeira, right above Praia dos Pescadores, which will be the main stage of the five days of uninterrupted partying.
The big news this year is Street Food Without Borders, headed by Nuno Bergonse, member of the Masterchef Portugal jury. Last year, a frequent complaint from the more than 150 thousand people who spent the year at Carpe Nox was the lack of places to eat and drink, as highlighted by José Carlos Rolo, president of the Chamber.
Therefore, this time, since «all these people will have to eat», a new concept was thought of, street food, but which will also involve the city's restaurants and bars.
«Since people will be on the street, we will give them street food, but with quality and without borders», explained Nuno Bergonse.
From the 28th to the 31st of December, on Avenida 25 de Abril, there will be «food from all over the world, at affordable prices and with quality, from Japan, Morocco, Portugal», etc. «We will make a rigorous selection of who will be present so as not to have more of the same. The focus will be on quality and diversity», added the young chef.
Carla Ponte, head of the Tourism, Economic and Cultural Development Division, and largely responsible for the mega organization of the Carpe Nox programming, announced that the Paderne Medieval initiative will also have new features.
For now, it lasts four days. Afterwards, it will present medieval tournaments for the first time. It will be in a dedicated area that will be created next to the football field, outside the urban and almost medieval village.
There will also be 100 permanent entertainers, more seasonal food and drinks and crafts, as well as historical parades, music, dance and color shows. Everything to make this which is, as Carla Ponte highlighted, «the only medieval fair that takes place at this time of year» a success again.
The Pop Art Parade is also new, which starts at 00:30 on January 1st, on Avenida Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro, in Oura, continuing the program that previously took place at Praia dos Pescadores. This parade, full of color, music, dance, will allow «what happens on Rua da Oura to be safe».
But the big highlight will be what will happen at Praia dos Pescadores. Producer João Costa commented: «I don't know, anywhere in the world, a natural stage that has this configuration». Basically, he added, the square, the sand, the sea, the cliffs, the sky, will all be stages for the party.
«Carpe Nox is a huge challenge», he confided. Because it is necessary to produce a show for «an audience that is transversal, from grandfather to grandson, national and foreign families».
The stage itself will this year be «bigger, with 55 meters in front, more daring and interactive». There will be «giant multimedia» and «special effects rarely used in Portugal», guaranteed João Costa.
On the stage, on the 30th, Ritchie Campbell will begin. But the highlight will be, as usual, on the 31st. «Gift will celebrate their 30th anniversary in 2024 and that's why we set them a challenge: create a lineup of songs that everyone knows», with the particularity that many of them are in English, which will certainly please the heterogeneous audience.
But Carpe Nox would still have to have «something that appealed to Portugueseness». Therefore, the Gift concert, at some point, will be «deliberately interrupted to allow the Amália Hoje project to take place», which will present three songs by the fado diva.
Then, Gift returns, on a stage that will be “chameleon-like”.
The end of the concert will have a countdown to midnight with «a soundtrack composed on purpose, synchronized to the second», during which people will be invited to interact. «If it goes well, it will be chilling», said the head of the production company TavolaNostra.
The show will continue to grow, with «laser projectors that have never been used in Europe», placed on the stage, in the sea and on the towers, «in synchronization with the pyrotechnics and the soundtrack».
The aerobatic planes with pyrotechnics will then enter, which will “perform risky and dangerous choreography”, especially because, at the same time, there will be laser effects, which are “the public enemy of planes”.
In other words, everything comes together to make the night from December 31st to January 1st truly memorable. What if it rains? «It never rained on New Year's Eve in Albufeira. We are in the 20th year and it has never rained», recalled Carla Ponte.
Photos: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação
The future of Albufeira depends on partnerships between the Chamber and businesspeople
Desidério Silva, former president of the Chamber and of the Algarve Tourism Region, and now president of the Association for the Promotion of Albufeira (APAL), recalled that this association has 220 members, of which 40 hotels, 20 local accommodation and 30 restaurants. Now , he argued, «the investment that the municipality makes in this event must be accompanied by businesspeople». As? At least ensuring that your establishments are open on festive days (and nights), Christmas and New Year. «The future of Albufeira, in tourist and economic terms, depends on these partnerships».
In fact, José Carlos Rolo, mayor of Albufeira, announced that the municipality commissioned a study from the University of Algarve to assess the economic impact that this strong New Year's program brings to the municipality.
A lot will still happen before New Year's Eve
Albufeira isn't just about the end of the year program. Until then, a lot will happen, starting on October 31st, with the Halloween party.
Délio Pescada, chief of staff of the presidency, announced that there will be a tunnel of horrors, spooky run, lots of street entertainment, and even music with DJs China and Lo-Fi.
This is followed, from November 29th to December 3rd, by the Feira Franca, at Albufeira Marina, with the usual entertainment.
Then, from the 15th to the 23rd of November, the Albufeira Natal initiative returns which, in addition to what is already usual, will have a 70 square meter area for children aged 3 to 8, with legos, Disney animators and the Frozen II theme .
For older guests, there will be a Marvel Escape Room.
In the municipal auditorium, the play «Maria, Nicolau's granddaughter» will be presented on December 10th, at 15:30 pm.
On the 15th, at 21:30 pm, also in the municipal auditorium, there will be a concert with the Orquestra do Algarve, under the direction of maestro Martim Sousa Tavares.
In the sporting field, in addition to the Christmas march-race (17th December), there will be the first edition of the São Silvestre Algarve, on the 29th, starting at 20pm from Largo Eng. Duarte Pacheco.
In the parishes, in Guia, from November 25th to January 7th, there will be the traditional nativity scene, while Ferreiras will host Circo Dallas, from December 27th to January 1st.
As Idalécia Rodrigues, from the Chamber's communications office, concluded, «for two months you will have many good reasons to be in or visit Albufeira».
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