Since 1996, the Alto Minho International Folklore Festival has promoted the practice of music and dance as an artistic expression, contributing to cultural dissemination and regional development.
This Festival is organized by VianaFestas, an entity that promotes festivals in the city of Viana do Castelo and, in 2024, it will take place from July 15 to 21.

In 2024, the poster for the XXVI International Folklore Festival – Alto Minho Alto Minho International Folklore Festival appears again full of symbolism. In addition to the clear reference to its trophy, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, there is also an image of one of the most memorable nights of the festival, in 2023, in which Viana do Castelo had the privilege of witnessing a Bolivian dance that represented the fight between good and evil, commonly performed at a festival considered Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

With so many countries in the world going through such turbulent times, we thought it was extremely expressive to remember this dance in which good (also represented by mythical characters) defeats evil, the latter removing its mask as a sign of conversion.

Even in a time of many masks, we hope that these will fall very soon and that peace, dance, music and the possibility of promoting harmony between peoples through culture will return, is the great message of this poster and of this Festival.

Sérgio Moreira is the photographer and Diana Sofia Leipold is the poster designer. Both have been following the Festival for around 20 years, creating friendships and adding stories with each passing year.

The groups that will visit us in 2024 come from Albania, Spain, France, Hungary, Paraguay and Kenya:

ALBANIA – Folklore Over Generations – Folklori ndër breza, by Belshi

SPAIN – Don Sancho Ethnographic Association, of Zamora

FRANCE – Ensemble Arcadanse – Groupe d’Arts et Traditions Populaires, de Saint Marcel

HUNGARY – Kéve Néptáncegyüttes, by Ráckeve

PARAGUAY – Folklore Cast of San Lorenzo, from San Lorenzo

KENYA – Tarumbeta Africa Cultural Group, Nairobi