Organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), in co-organization with the Macao Government Tourism Office and the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, the 19th Lusofonia Festival associated with the culture of the Macao Portuguese-speaking communities is held from 28 to 30 October, at the Taipa Houses-Museum in three consecutive days. The Festival offers excellent activities including gastronomy, music, dance and games, as well as street decoration in the surrounding areas of the Taipa Houses-Museum in Portuguese style, allowing visitors to feel like travelling in a foreign country. All residents and tourists are welcome to participate in the event, and experience the Portuguese customs and feel the Festival’s cheerful atmosphere.
The opening ceremony of the 19th Lusofonia Festival was held on 28 October at the Taipa Houses-Museum Auditorium, and was officiated by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam Chon Weng; the Deputy Director of the Consular Affairs Department of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao S.A.R., Weng Jinshan; the Acting President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Chan Peng Fai; the Deputy Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Tse Heng Sai; the Vice President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leung Hio Ming; the Executive member of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Glória Batalha Ung; and the Head of Department of Civic Affairs and Consultation of Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Ko Pui San, and among others.
The first edition of the Lusofonia Festival was held in 1998, aiming to celebrate the Portuguese Expatriate Day on 10 June as to honour Portuguese-speaking individuals who resided in Macao and contributed to Macao’s development. The programme of this edition is as diversified as in previous years. Different cultural booths of Macao Portuguese-speaking communities from ten countries/regions, namely Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Goa, Daman and Diu, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Macao and East Timor, introduce their countries or regions’ traditional music, photographs, arts and crafts, costume, literary books and gastronomy, thereby putting vitality in the Lusofonia Festival as well as allowing visitors to have in-depth understanding of the Portuguese-speaking countries and regions’ culture.
Ensembles of the art groups from Portuguese-speaking countries or regions will perform different styles of music and dance every evening; several local Portuguese-speaking performing art groups will also offer performances in the afternoon and evening. Every night starting from 7:30pm, music performances by local groups will be held at the Carmo Square, allowing the public to enjoy music in a relaxed environment while tasting Portuguese-inspired delicacies.
In addition, activities also include Portuguese-inspired gastronomy restaurants (providing daily roasts of Portuguese flavour at lunch and typical dishes from the different Portuguese-speaking countries at dinner), a Macau Grand Prix Simulator with the Guia Circuit raceway and Portuguese traditional games such as pole climbing, bigfoot game, tug of war and sack racing, as well as activities for children (children can ride on Irish ponies in about 1-meter height and take photographs, participate in group games for children and workshops) and a table-football competition (for under 15 and over 16 years of age in two categories). A radio station will also be installed on site to broadcast Portuguese music throughout the day.
The 19th Lusofonia Festival features is held from 7pm to 10pm on 28 October (Friday), from 12pm to 11pm on 29 October (Saturday) and from 12pm to 10pm on 30 October (Sunday) at the Taipa Houses-Museum, featuring singing, dancing, games and gastronomy in three consecutive days. In this 19th edition, the Festival further demonstrate the vibrancy of Macao as a tourism city through a diversified programme and continues to pass on rich Portuguese-inspired local culture.
