The Festas do Mar 2026 line-up is out — Daniela Mercury, Dillaz and David Fonseca play Cascais for free
The Festas do Mar 2026 line-up has been announced: from 20-23 and 27-30 August, Cascais Bay hosts Daniela Mercury, Marisa Liz, Os Quatro e Meia, Diogo Piçarra, Dillaz, David Fonseca and Matias Damásio. Free entry, day by day.
Late August in Cascais reliably delivers three things: warmer water, nowhere to park, and the Festas do Mar filling the bay. The missing piece has now landed — the 2026 line-up was announced on 23 July, and it keeps the tradition that made this one of Portugal’s biggest free events: nobody buys a ticket.
What is the Festas do Mar 2026 line-up?
The festival again splits across two long weekends, with main-stage concerts starting at 8pm every night. Here is the day-by-day running order:
- Thursday 20 August — Carolina Quintas, Carlão and Daniela Mercury, the Brazilian singer headlining opening night.
- Friday 21 August — Elisa, Marisa Liz and Os Quatro e Meia.
- Saturday 22 August — Carlota Ulrich, Miguel Gameiro & Pólo Norte and Diogo Piçarra.
- Sunday 23 August — Afonso Cabral, Fingertips and Dillaz closing the first weekend.
- Thursday 27 August — Diana Vilarinho, Luís Trigacheiro and the Em Casa d’Amália project, opening the second week with fado.
- Friday 28 August — Lara Afonso, João Pedro Pais and David Fonseca.
- Saturday 29 August — Maria León, Stewart Sukuma and Matias Damásio.
- Sunday 30 August — Murta, DJ Kamala and, as tradition dictates, the Cascais Symphony Orchestra closing the festival.
The final day also brings the Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes procession in the afternoon and fireworks to end the night. Alongside the main stage, a second stage at the Cidadela de Cascais gives room to new and local artists, with gigs at 6pm — worth arriving early for. The official programme is updated on the Cascais council event page.
When is Festas do Mar 2026?
Festas do Mar 2026 runs 20-23 and 27-30 August in central Cascais, with the site set up between the Cidadela and Jardim Visconde da Luz, a few minutes’ walk from the Cascais train line station. Food and craft stalls open at noon and stay until 1am on concert days, closing at 10pm on the others.
How much does Festas do Mar cost?
Nothing — entry is free on every day and for every concert, as it always has been. That is the secret of its success: recent editions have brought major Portuguese and international names to the bay without anyone spending a euro, and August in Cascais pairs that line-up with the most photographed sunset on the coast.
If you are building an August of music on a small budget, further south the Silves Medieval Fair takes the first fortnight with 2-euro tickets — 7 to 15 August, before the musical tide rolls down to Cascais bay.
Image: JoaoLamares / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
