Campo Maior's Festas do Povo returns after 11 years with 400,000 visitors expected

A tradition reborn after 11 years

Campo Maior, a town in Portugal's Alto Alentejo region, reopened its Festas do Povo on 8 August 2026, ending an 11-year wait since the last edition. The event, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021, runs for nine days until 16 August, with more than 100 streets decorated with handcrafted paper flowers. Around 400,000 visitors are expected over the course of the festival.

The visible transformation of the town was the product of months of voluntary work by residents. João Manuel Nabeiro, president of the Associação das Festas do Povo, described the preparation period as an extended gestation.

It was nine months of gestation, but I believe it was even more than nine months.

He added that each street sought to outdo previous editions, saying he believed each street surpassed itself. The preparation involved residents and street leaders known as cabeças de rua, who coordinated the design and production of decorative elements over long evenings in communal Casas das Flores.

The Noite da Enramação

On the night of 7 August, hundreds of residents took to the streets for the traditional Noite da Enramação, installing the decorative structures that had been produced over the preceding months. Work continued until dawn, with Luís Rosinha, president of the Câmara Municipal of Campo Maior, reporting that about 90% of the setup was complete by 04:00 or 05:00. The visible installation took less than 24 hours, though the flowers and other elements had been crafted over several months.

Community at the center

Residents began producing paper flowers as early as November or December 2025, working in their homes and in communal Casas das Flores. Elsa Muacho, street leader of the Avenida dos Combatentes da Grande Guerra, oversaw the creation of more than 100,000 flowers for her street alone, with 1,600 suspended strings each carrying about 35 flowers. Her street measures exactly 190 meters. Teresa Teixeira, a resident on another street decorated with a cherry blossom theme, said she helped make nearly 50,000 paper flowers, starting in January.

Ilda Amêndoa, who helped decorate a street other than her own, described the atmosphere during the overnight installation.

It's inexplicable. It's such a great joy. This is a night of magic.

She noted that the knowledge had not faded during the 11-year gap, comparing it to riding a bicycle. Younger residents who were children during the last edition are now directly involved in the assembly and flower production, which she said gives her confidence the tradition will continue.

Presidential praise and regional impact

President of the Republic António José Seguro spoke at the opening ceremony, saying Campo Maior could teach Portugal a lesson in community cooperation.

We live in times when, so often, people speak of what divides us. Campo Maior reminds us that there is always much more that unites us.

He said Portugal needs communities that believe in themselves and work together, and that the cooperation and mutual aid on display in Campo Maior is stronger than selfishness and divisionism. The festival's economic impact extends beyond the town. Joaquim Diogo, president of the Comunidade Intermunicipal do Alto Alentejo, said the demand generated by the festival has left the district's hospitality sector fully booked, with some restaurants potentially unable to meet demand. The organization provided information about accommodation and dining within a 150-kilometer radius.

First day draws crowds despite heat

The opening day brought scorching heat and thousands of visitors, both Portuguese and Spanish, drawn by the curiosity of seeing the town dressed in paper flowers. Visitors arrived by bus from as far as Paredes in the Porto district. Maria Lopez, from Sierra de Fuentes in the neighboring Spanish province of Cáceres, said social media helped her decide to visit. Eugénia Fernandes, 90 years old, watched from her doorway and said she had missed the festival. Luís Rosinha said the first day counted with many people and a turnout higher than expected, with the event proceeding normally despite the high temperatures.