Silves Medieval Fair runs 7 to 15 August — and tickets still cost just 2 euros
The Silves Medieval Fair 2026 has dates, tickets and a theme: from 7 to 15 August, ancient Xilb celebrates the poets and scholars of al-Andalus, with parades, tournaments and banquets.
The Silves Medieval Fair is back from 7 to 15 August, and its 21st edition has picked a theme worthy of the setting: “Xilb, City of Poets and Scholars”, a tribute to the era when Silves was one of the great centres of culture and science in al-Andalus. For nine days the old medina fills with more than a hundred artisans, merchants and confectioners, amid period costumes, traditional crafts and street entertainment.
When is the Silves Medieval Fair 2026?
From 7 to 15 August, every day between 6pm and 1am — the perfect window to escape the Algarve heat and step into the Middle Ages as the sun goes down. The Medieval Parade opens the fair daily at 6pm, winding through the Medina and the Arrabaldes, and the Medieval Tournaments return to Praça Al-Mu’tamid with sessions at 8pm and 10.30pm.
How much does the Silves Medieval Fair cost?
A day ticket costs 2 euros — yes, still 2 euros — and children up to 9 years old (or 130 centimetres) get in free. There are also multi-day wristbands for repeat visitors, group tickets and tournament passes. The full programme is on the fair’s official website.
This year’s big novelty is the “Banquets at the Vizier’s Table”, Moorish-inspired dinners served daily in the Alcáçova citadel, with limited seating and booking required — the boldest bet yet from a fair that ranks among Portugal’s most respected historical re-enactments. The castle once again hosts demonstrations of ancient arts and crafts.
If time travel is your thing, the Portuguese summer has you covered: just along the calendar, the Viagem Medieval in Santa Maria da Feira promises another full week of the Middle Ages. August in Portugal is like that — picking the century is the hard part.
Image: Bextrel / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
