37th Avintes Broa Bread Festival 2026

The 37th Festa da Broa de Avintes ran from 4 to 9 August 2026 at Largo do Palheirinho in Avintes, Vila Nova de Gaia, under the theme “Regresso às Origens” (Return to the Origins) — marking the festival’s return to the square where it began. For six days, with free entry, the parish celebrated the bread that made its name: broa de Avintes, baked in a wood-fired oven and recognised as a traditional Portuguese product.

Full programme of the 37th edition

Main-stage performances started every night at 21:00 or 21:30. Across the six days the festival also featured cooking demonstrations, book presentations, theatre, traditional games, dance and open-air cinema.

Tuesday, 4 August

• 21:00 — Cantadeiras de Avintes
• 22:30 — Rancho Folclórico do C. P. de Trabalhadores do Areinho de Oliveira do Douro

Wednesday, 5 August

• 21:30 — Fado Night — Francisco Tavares, Manuel Russo, Julieta Ribeiro, Érica Rocha and Inês Costa

Thursday, 6 August

• 21:30 — Grupo Musical Plebe

Friday, 7 August

• 21:00 — Orquestra Ligeira
• 22:00 — Joel Correia

Saturday, 8 August

• 21:00 — Tuna Pitagórica (União Académica de Avintes)
• 22:00 — Grupo Musical Restauradores

Sunday, 9 August

• 21:00 — Tozeguitarras & Manuel Soares (Paróquia S. Pedro de Avintes)
• 22:00 — Pedra D'Audiência (Associação Cultural e Musical de Avintes)

What is broa de Avintes?

Broa de Avintes is a dark, dense bread made from maize and rye flour, water, salt and leaven, baked in a wood-fired oven — pine wood by preference — for five to six hours. That long, slow bake gives it the almost-black crumb, the faintly sweet flavour and the moist texture that set it apart from every other Portuguese broa. The traditional loaf is pentagonal.

Avintes’ link to maize bread goes back to the reign of King Dinis (1261-1325), when bread baking was banned inside the city of Porto and the wheat bakers were sent to Valongo, the maize bakers to Avintes. The bread as it is made today is first documented in a royal charter dated 16 September 1563. It is now an inventoried Portuguese traditional product (DGADR) with its own confraria — a festive bread, obligatory at São João and at Christmas.

Getting there and parking

Largo do Palheirinho sits in the centre of Avintes, a parish on the south bank of the Douro in the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia, about 6 km from Porto. Avintes is crossed by the EN222, the road that starts in Vila Nova de Gaia and follows the river up into the Alto Douro.

• By car: from Porto, cross the Douro on the Ponte do Freixo (A20) and head east along the south bank; from central Gaia, follow the EN222 towards Avintes.
• Public transport: Avintes is served by STCP city buses connecting to Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. Check routes and timetables at stcp.pt.
• Parking: no dedicated event car park was announced. The site occupies a square in the village centre reached by narrow streets, so arriving early pays off — especially on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Practical information

• Dates: 4–9 August 2026 (37th edition)
• Venue: Largo do Palheirinho, Avintes, Vila Nova de Gaia
• Entry: free
• Performances: from 21:00
• Organisers: Junta de Freguesia de Avintes and Vila Nova de Gaia City Council
• Theme: “Regresso às Origens”

Next edition

The 38th Festa da Broa de Avintes is expected in the summer of 2027. As of this update (August 2026) the dates have not been announced; they are usually published through the official channels of the Junta de Freguesia de Avintes and Vila Nova de Gaia City Council.