As a student port town, Porto is lively 365 days a year. But when June hits the city it erupts in festivals, concerts, exhibitions, performances and much more.
So if you’re considering spending some time in Porto in June 2022 here are some of the things you absolutely have to check out.
Music and performance in June
On June 4th there are the well-known Toy Dolls playing in Hard Club, then there are The Avalanches playing at the same venue on June 29th, and if you love symphonic orchestras, then you’ll love the Film Symphony Orchestra that’s playing the Oporto Coliseum on June 17th.
There are also some smaller festivals like the Trace Made in Africa Festival 2022 which takes place between June 24th and 27th and features some of the best performers in the genre.
But by far the largest musical event in Porto in June is the NOS Primavera Sound 2022. This festival features famous bands like Gorillaz, Beck, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Tame Impala, King Krule, and Mura Masa to name just a few.
Between June 9th and the 11th, the Parque da Cidade will be full to bursting with people who want to enjoy some of the best musical performances June in Porto has to offer.
But great as that is, it has nothing on the biggest art festival in the whole of Portugal. Serralves em Festa 2022 takes place between June 4th and the 6th and it is a 50-hour non-stop arts extravaganza with over 250 000 people attending in 2019. The festival includes everything from music, dance, theatre and contemporary circus to museum exhibitions, films, photography and countless workshops.
There is simply something for every single person and you absolutely cannot miss out on it. And the craziest part is that most of the festival is for free.
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Porto cultural events in June
The night that every Porto resident is waiting for with great anticipation is the Festival of St John of Porto. Some call it the best party in the city and there are good reasons for it. Porto’s streets fill with balloons, colourful paper, and lights transforming it into one of the most joyful places in Portugal.
The evening begins with a traditional meal usually spent with friends or family and then comes a night of fireworks, alcohol, entertainment, and (bizarrely) plastic hammers which are used to lightly bang people on the head with.
The tradition of the hammers is so accepted you can even tap a head of a cop. There won’t be a night like this for another year so mark your calendar on June 23rd and clear your schedule for the next morning.
Exhibitions in Porto in June
First, the Frida Kahlo, The Life of an Icon is a great exhibition that ends on June 30th. The immersive space is split into two parts – one that works with virtual reality and one that gets you closer to the artist’s personal journey through life.
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Another great exhibition is the DRAWN 1975-1993 which celebrates the art of the Geração 80 (80s Generation) that became prominent for its social critique. Specifically, The Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art focuses on the Brazilian artist Leonilson whose drawings and paintings will be displayed until September.
