The year 2025 belongs to Braga! Artists such as Maria João Pires, Tiago Rodrigues, Mariza, the duo Meg Stuart and Francisco Camacho, Kim Gordon, Manuel Bouzas and Allison Orr are some of the highlights of the programme for the Portuguese Capital of Culture, which officially begins on 25 January.
In 2025, Braga opens its doors to the world of art and culture, assuming the title of Portuguese Capital of Culture. The city celebrates national artistic creation, in connection with Europe, bringing together the community and local cultural agents in an artistic mobilisation unique in its history.
The Braga 25 Portuguese Capital of Culture programme is the result of collaboration between the Municipality of Braga and Faz Cultura – Empresa Municipal de Cultura de Braga. Many of the 18 projects around which the event’s programme is structured are the result of the application process for European Capital of Culture 2027, to which is added the reinforced programming of the city’s main cultural venues, Theatro Circo and gnration, as well as the different initiatives promoted and supported by the Municipality of Braga throughout the year.
The axis of national artistic creation in the 2025 programme is made up of premieres by artists in the city such as pianist Maria João Pires, unique performances by fado singer Mariza, festivals linking the cultural quadrilateral (Braga, Barcelos, Guimarães and Vila Nova de Famalicão) such as Square and Extremo, and new creations by major artists in Portuguese culture such as directors Tiago Rodrigues and Marco Martins.
Paulo Mendes is the curator of Somos Todos Capitães – 50 anos em Liberdade, a major transdisciplinary exhibition on the 50th anniversary of the 25 April 1974 Revolution. The National Ballet Company and the Algarve Orchestra are also part of the programme.
In the field of international artistic creation, Braga 25 invites a range of artists and creators to intervene in the city’s urban spaces, such as Spanish architect Manuel Bouzas (curator of the Spanish representation at the next Venice Architecture Biennale), as well as the national premiere of the show by the Bang on Can All Stars collective. There is also room for collaborations between national and international artists in the areas of film and music, such as Daniel Blaufuks and Matthew Herbert, and in dance with the duo Francisco Camacho and Meg Stuart, as well as an anthological exhibition by Kim Gordon.
Finally, the Portuguese Capital of Culture is based on community projects, promoting interaction between international, local and national artists, which form the backbone of a programme rich in collaborations such as those that cross the region’s musical heritage with contemporary music, bringing together the Grupo de Cantares de Mulheres do Minho and the Calouste Gulbenkian Conservatory of Music in Braga; literary creation with the writer Ondjaki and young people from the community; an international choreographer with a collective of municipal workers – in this case, Allison Orr and the Agere waste collection workers; or a commission from Filipa Francisco, who will be working with folklore groups from Braga.