From Eastern Europe to North Africa, via Portugal and Brazil, the MED Festival continues to showcase a wide range of artists from diverse backgrounds. Dima Libre – Labess Trio, Ëda Diaz, Ganna Gryniva and Tó Trips & The Fake Latinos are just some of the names the festival has just announced for performances taking place in Loulé between 25th and 28th June.

From the memorable Tiny Desk performance by the group led by Nedjim Bouizzoul – the Labess Trio – we can appreciate the blend of traditional North African music (chaâbi), gypsy rumba and flamenco, always featuring a linguistic fusion of Arabic, French and Spanish.

In a musical genre that is diametrically opposed, yet deeply shaped by a blend of influences, the Franco-Colombian Ëda Diaz stands out for incorporating Afro-Colombian roots, jazz and electronic music.

Also with one foot in jazz, the Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ganna Grynivia brings a distinctive musical style from Berlin (the city that has adopted her).

Koza Mostra arrive in Loulé from Greece. In their luggage they bring a fusion of punk, ska and traditional Greek music, featuring instruments such as the bouzouki and violin.

“Accordian fighter" is how the Belarusian Yegor Zabelov describes himself, and he too has a date with the MED audience in June.

The country folk of Daniel Kemish & Friends knows no boundaries between the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The Atlantic connection is also evident in the performance by the duo Manuel de Oliveira (guitar) and Bianca Gismonti (piano). Spanning fado and jazz, Brazil and Zeca Afonso, the show is often described as a “musical conversation”.

Portugal is also represented by the trio of drummers who make up the group Sangue Suor. Comprising Ricardo Martins, Susie Filipe and Rui Rodrigues, the group showcases the diverse rhythmic possibilities created by a trio.

And finally, one of Portugal’s most talented artists of recent times: Tó Trips presents his latest project (Tó Trips & The Fake Latinos). A profound musical journey on the electric guitar, led by an artist who is unique on the national scene.

The 22nd edition of the MED Festival continues to add names to a line-up that has already featured Sérgio Godinho, Salif Keita, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Groundation, Arnaldo Antunes and Mario Lucio   & The Pan African Band, amongst many other artists from various parts of the globe, totalling more than 30 countries.

Also announced for this year is the CIDADE MED concept, aimed at fully integrating the city with the objective of promoting and boosting the local economy. Other new features include the expansion of the venue, a new space with the MED Lounge, the full integration of Loulé Municipal Market, an expansion of the food and street food area, and a new entrance to the venue (next to Largo de S. Francisco), in addition to the two existing ones (between the Municipal Market and the Town Hall / on the access road to the Castle of Loulé, next to Café Calcinha), ensuring greater convenience for visitors.

The MED Festival stands out for its diverse programme, featuring over 50 concerts, hundreds of artists representing 30 countries and 5 main stages (Matriz, Cerca, Chafariz, Castelo and Hammam). The event runs from June 25th to 27th, with a free admission day on June 28th.

The 2026 edition of the MED Festival has announced further line-up additions. True to its DNA, the event brings together diverse musical styles, with music from all over the world set to be performed in the city of Loulé. Groundation, Arnaldo Antunes, Mário Lúcio & The Pan African Band, Dikanda and Lala Tamar are just some of the names appearing at MED, which takes place between 25th and 28th June.

There are plenty of new and varied acts on the line-up. From Groundation, a Californian band blending reggae, funk and dub, to icons such as the Brazilian Arnaldo Antunes and the Cape Verdean Mário Lúcio – with The Pan African Band – MED has just added further quality to the 2026 line-up.

With a career spanning three decades, the Polish band Dikanda are also confirmed, as is the psychedelic rock of Lalalar, who travel between Germany and Turkey. In the same rock vein, but with a strong connection to Arabic music and mixed with jazz, comes the France-based collective SarãbAlso from France is Cyrille Brotto (accordion), accompanied by Ablaye Cissoko (Kora, Senegal).

Based in South Korea but drawing on diverse influences from North Africa, dub and Afro-beat, the collective Omar and the Eastern Power are set to perform in Loulé. North African influences form the cornerstone of Lala Tamar's artistic expression, which combines the guembri instrument with poetry, dance, song and a unique feminine style.

The festival has plenty more acts to add to the line-up already announced, which includes names such as Goran Bregovic, Sérgio Godinho, Salif Keita, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Expresso Transatlântico, Fidju Kitxora, amongst many other artists from all over the world, with a total of over 30 countries already represented at the 2026 edition of MED.

Also announced for this year is the CIDADE MEDconcept, aimed at fully integrating the city to promote and boost the local economy, as well as expanding the venue with a new space such as the MED Lounge, the full integration of Loulé Municipal Market, an expansion of the food and street food area, and a new entrance to the venue (next to Largo de S. Francisco, in addition to the two existing ones – between the Municipal Market and the Town Hall, and on the access road to Loulé Castle, next to Café Calcinha), ensuring greater convenience for visitors.

The MED Festival stands out for its diverse programme, featuring over 50 concerts, hundreds of artists representing 30 countries and 5 main stages (Matriz, Cerca, Chafariz, Castelo and Hammam). The event runs from June 25th to 27th, with a free admission day on June 28th.

The MED Festival, a World Music event organised by Loulé City Council, has reinforced its international reputation by winning two awards at the 10th Iberian Festival Awards, the ceremony for which took place this Saturday, 14th March, at the Coliseu Micaelense in Ponta Delgada, the Azores.

The festival, which takes place at the end of June in the Historic Centre of Loulé, was once again honoured at these Iberian awards, triumphing in two categories: ‘Best Cultural Programme’ (Iberian winner) and ‘Safe Event Award’ (Portuguese winner).

MED surpassed the Murmura Festival, the Spanish winner, and became the music festival in the Iberian Peninsula with the best cultural programmein 2025. This distinction is partly due to the fact that MED featured Cape Verde as its ‘Guest Country’, bringing to Loulé a multidisciplinary programme encompassing cinema, visual arts, crafts and gastronomy, with a focus on Cape Verdean culture.

90 hours of music, 54 concerts, over 300 musicians and 28 nationalities, spread across 12 stages. Music was once again the focus of the event, featuring artists who are true icons of world music, alongside the sounds of Cape Verde showcased in the collaboration between Dino D’Santiago & Os Tubarões, in the concerts by the legendary Ferro Gaita, the Cesária Évora Orchestra, and a rising star of the country’s new musical wave, Ceuzany.

In the ‘Safe Event Award’category, MED won the Portuguese prize, whilst at the Iberian level the award went to Spain’s Festival Gigante. Safety is one of the factors cited by visitors to the MED Festival as highly relevant to their participation in this great musical and cultural experience. The careful attention the organisers have paid to this area, combined with the work of a highly committed team, means that a system has been able to be put in place to ensure the safety and rescue of people and property, as well as support for any emergencies occurring on the premises.

In 2025, the Municipal Civil Protection Commission approved, once again, a Coordination Plan for the MED Festival, demonstrating that an emergency response structure is in place, built on partnerships. Public safety and civil protection agencies participating in this event included the National Republican Guard, Loulé Fire Brigade, Portuguese Red Cross, and Loulé Municipal Civil Protection Service, assisted by INEM (National Institute of Medical Emergencies).

With these two awards, the MED Festival now has a total of 12 Iberian Festival Awards.

Telmo Pinto, Mayor of Loulé, states: ‘These victories reflect the dedication of the council’s teams and all the staff who make this major event happen, but they also recognise the city’s strategy to establish itself culturally on the Iberian scene’.

In turn, Paulo Silva, MED’s director and programmer, highlights the festival’s reaffirmation on the international stage. ‘These awards are the culmination of yet another year in which we have managed to stage a festival of the highest quality, earning the recognition of the public, the jury, the specialist press and industry professionals alike. These distinctions place Loulé on the map of major international events linked to world music, highlighting not only the musical aspect but the entire cultural programme’.

Alongside the MED Festival, it should be noted that the Loulé Carnival, the Algarve White Night – Loulé and Som Riscado – Loulé Music and Image Festival were also on the list of finalists for the 10th edition of the Iberian Festival Awards.

Portuguese-Cape Verdean Carmen Souza took to the stage at Cineteatro Louletano last Saturday for a concert integrated into the final presentation of the MED’25 Festival, and is the first confirmation for the 2026 Edition.

In front of a full house and with the presence of the large Cape Verdean community living in Loulé, the artist brought mornas, funanás, more jazzy sounds, blues and even Zeca Afonso.

In this show, Souza performed several themes from “Port’ Inglês”, her most recent work, born from her master’s thesis, and which tells the forgotten stories of the marks left on Cape Verdean culture by the British presence in the country. Songs in Portuguese, Creole and English that personify this historical period. The album, nominated for the German Record Critics Awards in the Best World Music Album category, investigates themes of cultural identity, resistance, colonialism and decolonization, highlighting the connection between Cape Verde and the United Kingdom.

In the year in which Cape Verde is the ‘Guest Country’ of the MED Festival, Carmen Souza had the honor of being the first artist to bring music from this archipelago in the Atlantic. And she did it in the best way possible, with an enthusiastic audience, dancing at times, or singing. In the last song, a reinterpretation of “Venham mais Cinco”, by Zeca Afonso, a choir of voices joined Carmen Souza, without a doubt a strong name in Cape Verde and World Music.

‘See you in 2026!’, she said at the end of the show. A ‘see you soon’ to the public of Loulé who will be able to see her again, in June 2026, in the Historic Area of ​​Loulé.

The full musical and cultural line-up for the 21st MED Festival, taking place from the 26th to the 29th of June in Loulé's historic quarter, was announced this Saturday at the Cineteatro Louletano.

The 13 names that will be joining the 25 already confirmed and that will be performing on the Matriz, Cerca, Castelo, Chafariz and Hamman stages were announced at the same time. Mitsune (Japan), El Sonidero Insurgente (Argentina), Adam Ben Ezra (Israel/Portugal), Cesária Évora Orchestra (Cape Verde), The Congos & The Gladiators (Jamaica), Lá no Xepangara (Mozambique, Brazil, Guinea Bissau and Portugal), Grèn Sémé (Reunion Island) and Nomad, Virgem Suta, A Cantadeira, Homem em Catarse, Cristina Clara and Filipe Sambado (Portugal) will be in Loulé to celebrate the musical diversity of one of Europe's biggest World Music World Music Festivals.

On the 27th of June, one of the greatest musical, performance and sensory experiences of this edition is expected. Mitsune, a Japanese band based in Berlin, promises to surprise. The group is recognised for mixing traditional Japanese folk music with psychedelic, cinematic and ritualistic sounds, while infusing their performances with a punk spirit. The band's core lies in the Tsugaru shamisen, a three-stringed lute that was once made famous by blind, itinerant musicians in ancient Japan. Mitsune reveres and reinvents the tradition of the shamisen, telling their own stories through the evocative tones of this ancient instrument. Mitsune's live shows are a vibrant mix of raw energy, stunning visuals and a touch of humour, creating an unforgettable experience.

Filipe Sambado is one of the Portuguese names on the MED'25 programme and takes to the stage on the 28th of June. He is one of the most striking, challenging and original figures in contemporary Portuguese music.Constantly reinventing himself, Sambado has taken to the road to perform'Gémea Analógica', a series of acoustic concerts born from his latest studio album.In this more raw and direct format, he reveals not only the intimate and vulnerable side of the songs, but also their purest essence.

A true spiritual experience is what Jamaicans The Congos & The Gladiatorsare bringing us on the evening of 27th June, a special concert that brings together two mythical reggae bands from the 60s/70s. Decades later, the Congos and the Gladiators are crossing paths for a joint tour that promises not only to celebrate the legacy of classical reggae, but also to reaffirm its relevance and vitality.

After a year, after having been to the concert presentation of the MED’24 Festival, in this very Cineteatro, the project Lá no Xepangara will be part of the alignment of the 21st edition. On the 28th June, Mozambique, Brazil, Guinea-Bissau and Portugal gather on stage for a show that celebrates the work and thought of José Afonso, from an African and Portuguese-speaking perspective, gathering on stage artists from various Portuguese-speaking countries. This tribute revisits Zeca Afonso's legacy by stressing his deep bond to African culture and the struggle against colonialism. Through contemporary arrangements, crossing African sounds with the musical heritage of José Afonso, Lá no Xepangara not only pays tribute to the artist but reflects on the values of April and the actuality of his thoughts.

With roots in Reunion Island and ears turned to the world, and making their national debut, Grèn Sémé will be the third representative of this country in the history of the MED. This Franco-Reunion project fuses traditional maloya — an ancestral rhythm from Reunion Island — with electronics, dub, rock and poetry sung in Creole, creating a deeply unique sound language. They have distinguished themselves through their inventive approach to the music of the Creole diaspora, and have a cult reputation among diverse audiences.

One of the highlights when it comes to music will also be the show on Sunday, “Open Day”, the 29th of June, in which a tribute will be paid to Cape Verdean singer and composer Sara Tavares..

It is worth remembering that these names join those announced in March: Ferro Gaita, Dino D´Santiago & Os Tubarões (Cape Verde), Ceuzany (Cape Verde/Senegal), Carminho, a garota não, Valter Lobo, Stereossauro convida Ana Lua Caiano e Pedro Jóia, O Gajo and Milhanas (Portugal), Sílvia Pérez Cruz and Salvador Sobral (Spain/Portugal), Systema Solar (Colombia), Vieux Farka Touré (Mali), Barrut (France), Balqeis (Egypt) Fulu Miziki (Democratic Republic of Congo), iLe (Puerto Rico), Sofian Saidi (Algeria), Justin Adams & Mauro Durante (United Kingdom/Italy), Cerys Hafana (Wales), Shkoon (Syria/Germany), Alain Pérez y la Orquesta (Cuba), Paulo Flores (Angola), Tarwa N-Tiniri (Morocco) and Queen Omega (Trinidad and Tobago).

 

OTHER STAGES

The music at the MED Festival is not only performed on the main stages, but also in other less conventional and more intimate spaces. This is the case of Café Calcinha, Arco (behind the Igreja Matriz) and the area adjacent to the Market. Musicians Nanook, Daniel Kemish and Eduardo Ramoswill perform on these stages. Three “one man shows” that will bring sounds from different geographies to the Festival.

On the other hand, classical music invades the Igreja Matriz (church) to bring a line-up of more erudite sounds to the MED Festival. MED Classic presents four concerts curated by Sérgio Leite, director of the Loulé Music Conservatory. From Belgium, the Flanders Recorder Duojoins this lineup on the 26th. For the 27th, Gil Fesch and Nuno Pinto join forces for a Guitar Duo. On the 28th, the Spanish Protus Marimba Quartet will be present. And as is tradition, students from the Loulé Music Conservatory will perform on the evening of “Open Day”, 29th June. This time they will be accompanied by the Francisco Guerrero Professional Music Conservatory of Seville..

 

CAPE VERDE, GUEST COUNTRY

Cape Verde is the ‘Guest Country’ of this 21st Edition, bringing to the MED Festival a multidisciplinary program that includes Cinema, Plastic Arts, Handicrafts and Gastronomy. In 2025, the year that marks 50 years of independence, Cape Verde will be the guest country of the Festival and the presence of mornas, cachupa, tabanca, pano di terra, grogue and funaná will be felt in Loulé, especially in the “Pátio” (Cloister of the Espírito Santo Convent).

Ceuzany, Dino D`Santiago with Os Tubarões, Ferro Gaita, Carmen Souza (in this presentation) and Cesária Évora Orchestra constitute the musical highlights of a program that contains much of this Atlantic archipelago.

The weekend before the Festival will be entirely dedicated to Cape Verdean culture.

In literature, at the Casa da Cultura de Loulé – Edifício Atlético, on the 21st of June, starting at 17h30, Cape Verdean writers José Luiz Tavares and Dina Salústio are the guests for a conference that will cover the country's literature.

As part of 'Falas Afrikanas', an editorial project of African works and authors, on this day, Raja Litwinoff will present a catalogue of the country’s literary production.

The ‘Transatlantic Cartographies’by artists Fidel Évora, Jacira da Conceição, Amadeu Carvalho and Carlos Noronha Feio, curated by João Serrão and Ricardo Vicente, will be open as of 20th June.

‘Transatlantic Cartographies’ brings together, at the Espírito Santo Gallery in Loulé, four artists whose connection to Cape Verde is both intimate and displaced. They live outside the archipelago, but build a continuous dialogue with it - sometimes silent, but always present. Their works do not seek to represent the territory, but to map its traces, reverberations and reunions through image, sound, body and matter.

The film 'Sodade', directed by Cape Verdean Sarah Grace, will be presented on the 22nd of June, at Solar da Música Nova. The film, which won international acclaim, explores profound themes such as love, betrayal and hate, through the story of characters who experience the challenges and dilemmas of the diaspora. Filmed in the beautiful and striking volcanic landscapes of Fogo Island, ‘Sodade’ stands out for its stunning cinematography and for capturing the essence of Cape Verdean culture and spirit. It is the first Cape Verdean film to be commercially distributed in cinemas in Portugal and other international territories.

During the Festival, the seventh art continues to have the colors of Cape Verde. At the Cinema MED space, next to the Art Gallery 'Cesária Évora', released in 2022, by director Ana Sofia Fonseca, will be shown on the evening of the 26th of June. This is an intimate documentary about the life and career of Cape Verde's greatest voice, with never-before-seen footage. This is followed by a DJ Set with Pedro Ramos and Bordel Pinheiro. The DJs from Futura – Rádio Autor promise an intense party with music from the four corners of the world.

Still on the Cinema MED’25 programme, once more curated by Rui Tendinha, another documentary, 'Kmêdeus' (‘Eat God’), by Nuno Boaventura Miranda. It portrays the intriguing story of an eccentric homeless man from São Vicente Island, known by many as crazy and by others as a great artist. It will be shown on the 27th. That night, ‘Terra Longe’ will be released, a documentary by Bernardo Lopes about the musician Mindelo Jon Luz, who was Sara Tavares’ guitarist. The musician will then do a show-case. show-case.

Finally, on the 28th, and outside the ‘Guest Country’ programme, an ‘outside the box’ documentary will be shown. 'Happier Happier Happier', by Telmo Soares with Noiserv. This is a short film about Noiserv and his surprising invitation to perform on China's national television channel CCTV1.

The night ends with the concert film 'Ressaca Bailada', by Expresso Transatlântico and Sebastião Varela, with the band playing in the old Armazéns Abel Pereira da Fonseca. It has actors like Rita Blanco, Vicente Wallenstein or Lara Dutra playing fictional characters. There will also be space for a DJ set with Expresso Transatlântico.

The 'Poesias do Mundo'initiative, coordinated by ‘Tapé’ is back and this time the focus will be Cape Verde. In the Cinema MED space, poems and prose by Cape Verdean authors will be recited, whether in Portuguese or Creole, as well as from other nationalities.

This country also stands out in terms of gastronomy. Cape Verdean chefs Milocas and Fátima Moreno will show how to prepare some typical dishes, in a show-cookingshow-cooking, on the ‘Open Day’ (with free admission), on the 29th of June, Sunday, at Alcaidaria do Castelo.

In street arts, there will be tabanca, kola san jon, batuque and txabeta. And, in addition to Cape Verdean rhythms, there will be Alentejo singing, Latin American dances, folk groups and much more.

At MED Kids, a space next to Largo da Matriz dedicated to the youngest, the story teller Adriano Reis brings the initiative “Stera – Na Boka Noti”, in which he will share Cape Verdean children's stories and games with the younger audience.

Potters Isabel Sanches and Edna Sanches Cabral will be at the Cabo Verde ‘Pátio’ every day to bring unique pieces to life and show a little of this ancestral art. The pieces will also be created during children's pottery workshops, allowing for connections with traditions and new audiences.

‘There are 90 hours of music, 54 concerts, more than 300 musicians and nearly 30 nationalities spread across 12 stages. Adding up the art exhibition, handicrafts and street artists and we have one of the strongest editions of MED ever. We are also very happy and confident because the ‘Guest Country’, Cape Verde, is the perfect match for Loulé, where there is a strong Cape Verdean community and the relationship between the city and the archipelago could not be more consistent’, says director Carlos Carmo.

Mayor Vítor Aleixo believes that the turnout for the event and the city during these days will be huge. ‘Everything is ready for another edition that will attract many visitors to Loulé, and will certainly boost the local economy. These days, Loulé, a vibrant city in cultural terms, is a meeting point for many nationalities, people who come from various parts of the world, and this makes us very happy’, he emphasizes.

At a time when renovation work is underway in the Historic Area of ​​Loulé, the mayor stated that ‘the work has been carried out in such a way as to interfere as little as possible with the days of the Festival’.

On behalf of Cape Verde, the manager of the Cape Verde Cultural Center in Lisbon, Ângela Barbosa, highlighted the importance of this participation: ‘Being part of the MED Festival as a ‘Guest Country’ in the year in which we celebrate 50 years of our independence is fantastic! It is an honor to be part of this great celebration. If there is something that truly sustains the soul of Cape Verdeans, it is their culture.’

The MED Festival has once more RTP and RDP as media partners. ..

Tickets are on sale at Cineteatro and BOL.pt, at a reduced price, until the 22nd of June: Daily Ticket 10 euros, Festival Ticket 30 euros and Daily Family Ticket 35 euros.