Celebrations

The people of Madeira celebrate some festivals each year. If you visit Madeira as a tourist on one of these festivals, you are welcome to attend these celebrations and enjoy the hustle and bustle in the streets.

Christmas

Christmas on Madeira is a glittering world in itself. Traditional and modern, cheesy to colorful. Holidaying on Madeira for Christmas is a special experience. Nativity scenes with life-size figures can be admired everywhere.

New Year

On New Year's Eve, many cruise ships anchor in the port of Funchal. In the evening, many small stalls with food and drinks are set up in the streets of the city. Madeira welcomes the New Year with its unique fireworks.

Carnival

Numerous groups of colorful costumes dance to samba rhythms through the streets of Funchal. It reminds a bit of Carnival in Rio - a spectacle for all the senses.

Flower Festival

Flower Power in the streets of Funchal. All flowers on Maderia are presented here in different ways. Every year in May, the Maderens decorate Funchal with an incredible amount of flowers.

Atlantic Festival

Every year in June, concerts are held with well-known predominantly potruguese artists in churches, the Casa das Mudas Cultural Center in Calheta and the Baltazar Dias City Theater. Every Saturday there is a big fireworks at dusk.

Nossa Senhora do Monte

On the 14th and 15th of August, a procession in honor of the Blessed Virgin Nossa Senhora do Monte takes place in Monte, where the little figure is carried through the streets. It is the most important festival of the Madeirans. Believers on their knees climb the imposing staircase of the famous church with its 68 steps.

Wine Festival

At the end of August, the harvest begins in Madeira. The grapes for the Madeira wine are still harvested by hand. In the streets of Funchal there are folklore performances, Madeiran delicacies and of course a lot of wine.

Oldtimer Rally

Every year, the classic car club of Madeira organizes the tour of the Madeira Classic Rally. It does not depend on the speed, but on the original and perfect state of the "oldies." They cover a distance of about 400 km in these four days.

Did you know?

AZULEJOS - WALLPictures FROM "SMALL STONES"

Azulejos are an integral part of Madeira. King Manuel I was enthusiastic about art and introduced Mudéjar - Azulejos from Southern Spain to Madeira around the year 1500. The Moorish craftsmen put individual differently colored stones together to form patterns to avoid the color bleeding - hence the term "Azulejo = small stone. The king himself also ordered the sparkling tiles for the tower of Funchal Cathedral. Madeira never had its own production, so all azulejos from Lisbon or Porto would be delivered.

At the beginning of the 20th century, depictions of traditional everyday scenes were popular. Frequently, old flower, birds and ship motifs were processed. Wall-filling tile carpets decorated house walls, interiors of churches or devotional images for house facades. At Café Ritz in Funchal, in the Mercado dos Lavradores and in many other places of the city are still some to admire. A comprehensive overview of Azulejo art can be seen at the Jardim Tropical Monte Palace. The Frederico Freitas Museum in Funchal also displays valuable azulejos from eight centuries and different countries.