MED AWARDED

The 25 de Abril Multipurpose Pavilion in Almancil hosted the gala for the 9th edition of the Iberian Festival Awards on Saturday, 15th March. Once again, Loulé was honoured at the event, this year with two awards, one for the MED Festival and the other for Som Riscado - Loulé Music and Image Festival.

MED stood out one more time for its ‘Contribution to Sustainability’, being the best festival in this category, not only at a national level, but also in the Iberian context, beating big names such as Rock in Rio or Meo Kalorama, and Spain's winner, the Mallorca Live Festival.

It's worth remembering that in 2019, MED was the festival on the Iberian Peninsula that contributed the most to sustainability issues, namely by including initiatives such as the Ecological Cup, renewable energy through photovoltaic cells in the venue's catering spaces, the provision of free and efficient water points, the placement of various dispensers for cigarette butts, chewing gum and smart bins, the reuse and recycling of materials for decorating spaces or the association with the Reefood project, which appeals for sustainable consumption.

‘Sustainability has been a guiding principle for the Municipality of Loulé for many years. We endeavour to be sustainable in all the activities we carry out. In the future, we're going to deserve this award even more,’ said Vítor Aleixo, Mayor of Loulé.

In turn, Som Riscado - Loulé Music and Image Festival received an award at the Iberian for the first time. DJ Branko's performance at the last edition (the concert took place on the 22nd November) earned João Barbosa, the musician, DJ and producer known in the arts as Branko, the award for Best Electronic Performance. The show took place in a sold-out Cineteatro, with an enthusiastic audience watching a moment in which the artist took risks, not only in the mix of sounds, but also in the visual impact and a strong multimedia component.

‘This is a festival that surprises because it's unconventional and has a very strong emphasis on creativity,’ said the Mayor of Loulé, Vítor Aleixo.

It's worth noting that the Loulé Carnival was also a finalist in the ‘𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆’ category, but was dethroned by its Torres Vedras counterpart.

The Iberian Festival Awards gala brought together hundreds of entertainment agents from Portugal and Spain and honoured various festivals, promoters, artists, brands and services linked to this industry. Rock in Rio and Last Tour, the organisation behind events such as MEO Kalorama, were the night's big winners. The personality honoured was Terry Costa.

Carlos Carmo, the City Councillor for Events, emphasised how important it was for the Municipality of Loulé to host this gala organised by APORFEST. ‘The Loulé Municipality was proud to be associated with this event. Today we were able to test the capacity of the 25 de Abril Multipurpose Pavilion for major events, whether with a sporting or cultural nature. Almancil and the Municipality of Loulé are now part of the events route, as it has all the requirements, not only for the space itself but also for the hotel and catering offer in its surroundings,’ he said.