Braga 25: Mid-year review highlights 728,000 spectators and over 1,000 events; Marco Martins, the National Ballet Company and Semibreve among the cultural highlights until the end of the year
As part of a review of the first six months of Braga 25 – the Portuguese Capital of Culture – the initiative has released key figures regarding participation in its diverse programme of activities, covering the period from January to 15 June. The data was collected by the Braga 25 Mission Team, with support from Faz Cultura – Braga’s Municipal Cultural Company – and the Culture Division of the Braga Municipality.
In terms of the number of events, Braga 25 recorded a total of 1,069 artistic activities, including 312 performances, 70 exhibitions, 324 mediation and participation actions, and 47 artistic residencies. Since the beginning of the year, the Portuguese Capital of Culture has welcomed a total of 728,656 spectators: 52,948 for music performances, 614,795 for exhibitions, 9,254 for theatre productions, and 6,892 for multidisciplinary performances.
Regarding the composition of the programme, 54% of the artists featured were local, with 30% national and 16% international. Notably, numerous partnerships were established as part of a network-based approach to programming: 153 local artistic entities, 56 national partners, and 19 international collaborators, with special mention to partnerships with Galicia, namely in projects such as Forma da Vizinhança, Square, Extremo, Festival Castro-Galaico, and Convergências.
On the economic front, Braga has seen a positive growth in overnight stays, particularly in March and April 2025, with increases of 18% and 13%, respectively – up 7.8% compared to 2024.
In a continuous effort to make culture accessible to all, a total of 575 activities included accessibility measures – more than half of the events held during the first half of the year. 47 of these were adapted sessions, and 20 performances included participation by individuals with specific needs.