Below are the main events that you can look for if you’re in town in the upcoming weeks:

COM’OUT LISBON
Until the 12th, from Thursday to Sunday, late in the afternoon, you can catch live music, dance and theater in the city’s gardens and viewpoints. It includes the OutJazz festival which this month takes place in the little-known Necessidades Park, on the 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th starting at 5PM.
Everything is free.

FASHION’S NIGHT OUT
On Septmber 9th, most boutiques in Lisbon’s main shopping areas (Chiado, Avenida da Liberdade and surroundings) will remain open until late, taking part of an event organized by Vogue magazine in several world cities. Prices will be reduced and between 7PM and midnight there will also be some fun activities at some shops.

QUEER LISBOA
Lisbon’s longest-running film festival is its gay and lesbian film festival which happens every September in the center of the city. This year it’s once again taking place in Cinema São Jorge, a theater in Avenida da Liberdade, from the 17th to the 25th. Each screening costs 3.50 and tickets can be bought starting on the 8th.
It shows close to 100 films from around the world, so if you plan to see several of them, you can get a discount for multiple tickets.

Lisbon’s biggest annual event used to happen only on and around June 12th, but it’s been expanding in the last few years. The “Festas de Lisboa” (the Lisbon Feasts) now take place from May to July with several events around the city, and they’ve just begun. June 12 is still the most important date, honoring St. Anthony who was born in the city, although this is not a religious festival. It’s a day to descend the steep streets at eat and drink around the city before or after attending special events around the corner. This year they include jazz, Fado, and several other special shows:

OUTJAZZ
Five green spaces in the city will be hosting jazz concerts every Sunday at 5PM. In May the chosen site is Jardim da Estrela, the Campo Grande Garden (opposite from the City Museum) will be the stage in June, and in July it moves to Edward VII Park. In August it will be the lawns in front of Belém Tower.

LOUNGE
From now until July 15, Cinema São Jorge on Avenida da Liberdade will host free concerts and DJ sets every afternoon at 3PM until 9PM from Sunday to Wednesday, and from 3PM to 1AM from Thursday to Saturday.

CHIADO IN FASHION
From June 1st to the 6th, the streets of the city’s Chiado district will be the stage for dance performances and fashion-related events.

FADO IN THE CASTLE
Every Friday and Saturday at 10PM from June 4th to the 26th you can hear Lisbon’s music in the city’s most historical site, the Castle of St. George. While most activities related to the Lisbon Feasts are free, this one charges admission (€12.50).

FADO IN THE TRAMS
From June 2nd to the 6th, then again from the 9th to the 11th, 13th, and once again from the 16th to the 20th, you can enjoy more than the ride and the sights from the city’s old trams. There will be live Fado performances on those days at 4PM and 7PM so catch a ride at those times if you can.

MASS WEDDINGS
Join the entire country in crashing a mass wedding celebration on June 12th. Sixteen couples tie the knot in the city’s cathedral in a televised event sponsored by Lisbon’s city hall. The date is special because it celebrates St. Anthony who was known as a matchmaker.

AVENIDA DA LIBERDADE PARADE
The “Marchas Populares” (literally “Popular Marches”) is a parade of colorful costumes and cheerful songs marching down the city’s main avenue on the night of June 12th. Each group represents a Lisbon neighborhood and there is a winner for best song and costumes. Look out for Alfama‘s which seems to win at least every other year.

GAY PRIDE
Lisbon’s LGBT Pride will be in a special celebratory mood this year now that Portugal has just become Europe’s 6th country to legalize gay marriage. The city’s 14th annual gay party will include activities entitled “queer games” and “Gay Village.” This year it all takes place in the renovated Comercio Square on June 26th.

Spring has barely sprung, but we’re already looking forward to summer in Lisbon. They are days of sun, sand, and a lot of partying, considering the special events scheduled. Perhaps the biggest one is another edition of “ROCK IN RIO – LISBOA” which happens every two years, this year bringing Leona Lewis, Elton John, Shakira, Muse, Miley Cyrus, Rammstein, and Megadeth among others to Lisbon. It takes place over 5 days and you can get tickets here: ROCK IN RIO LISBOA TICKETS

Another summer music festival is OPTIMUS ALIVE which this year has already announced Pearl Jam, Faith No More, Alice in Chains, and Gossip in the lineup of bands performing on July 8, 9, and 10. Get tickets here: OPTIMUS ALIVE TICKETS

Another annual event includes the FESTAS DE LISBOA, which start with the mass weddings blessed by St. Anthony and end with a parade down Avenida da Liberdade where every Lisbon neighborhood competes for best march (including costume and song), in between a lot of street partying. That’s on June 12, and around the same date the city celebrates its GAY PRIDE festival which this year should be extra special, as it seems Portugal will be permitting gay marriage starting this May.

Also of note is FESTROIA, a film festival in the Troia resort south of the city, and the FESTIVAL DOS OCEANOS, the ocean-themed festival with events and activities around the city in August, culminating with a parade of sea creatures in Parque das Nações.

Also in August is the JAZZ EM AGOSTO festival that takes place every year at the Gulbenkian Foundation, welcoming jazz musicians from around the world to perform over several days.

Added to all of this are the city’s beaches, warm weather cooled off by the Atlantic, and a lively street life with outdoor cafés and entertainment.

All upcoming events in Lisbon: LISBON EVENTS

After Porto’s new palace hotel, we must also tell you that Lisbon recently saw the opening of its latest palatial accommodation. Hotel Palacete Chafariz D’El Rei opened on a secluded street right below the hilly maze of the Alfama district, and is now one of the most romantic places to stay in the city.
It was built in the late 19th century as an aristocratic vision of the neo-Moorish style, facing the river which can be seen from the building’s terrace. The renovation for it to be turned into a hotel took some time, as everything was carefully restored to its original look. The authenticity of the interior is then mixed with the more contemporary design of some of the furnishings, all together creating an intimate atmosphere throughout the entire space.
There are six spacious suites and public areas for meetings or relaxing after a day of sightseeing. A particularly beautiful room is the Hall of Mirrors which features Art Nouveau details, and there is also a meticulously restored Arabesque Room and a sumptuous library.
This is the perfect hotel for honeymooning couples, including gay and lesbian couples, as it’s a gay-friendly hotel.
There is no restaurant but a continental breakfast is served in the beautiful dining room.
For a cocktail you practically don’t even need to leave the hotel, as right next door is Kuta, currently the hottest bar in Lisbon and a place you should not miss whether or not you’re staying at the hotel.
Get all the hotel details and booking information here: Palacete Chafariz D’el Rei Hotel

When we recently told you about Lisbon’s International Horror Film Festival we said it was the first of several film festivals in Lisbon until the end of 2009. The second is Queer Lisboa, the city’s gay and lesbian film festival which is in its 13th edition this year. It has become one of the largest gay film festivals in Europe, screening a total of 95 films this year. Eight of those will be Portuguese productions, while everything else will come from all corners of the globe. That includes “Pedro,” a film about a famous resident of MTV’s “The Real World,” while the first screening will be of “Morrer Como Um Homem” which has already premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.  That’s a Portuguese film by João Pedro Rodrigues, a director who achieved international acclaim with his 2000 film “O Fantasma.”
In addition to the films, the organization says it is also “celebrating seven icons of queer culture” through poetry readings, concerts, and debates with various personalities.
The festival takes place between the 18th and 26th of this month in Cinema São Jorge in Avenida de Liberdade, and there are prizes for Best Feature, Best Documentary, and Best Short Feature. Tickets cost 3.50, but there’s a 20% discount if you buy tickets for five films. You may consult the entire program on the festival’s website www.queerlisboa.pt

The latest extensive article about Lisbon comes from “Edge,” a Boston publication for the gay and lesbian community. Although its travel section is obviously aimed at LGBT travelers, the article covers Lisbon hotspots that everyone will want to check out. It is written by Megan Smith, a travel writer based in Australia who has written for international publications such as the Let’s Go travel guides. She’s recently visited Lisbon with her partner, and has decided that the Portuguese capital is her “new favorite European city.” She stopped by the city’s most famous sights (the castle, the tower, and the monastery), but also didn’t miss the city’s newest major attraction, the Design and Fashion Museum which she concluded “embodies the edgy Euro attitude of Lisboa, combining the cool underground sensibility of Berlin with the flair of Parisian haute culture.” She then looked for some additional Lisbon style at the shops of Rua do Norte in Bairro Alto, and stayed in that lively district at night for some caipirinhas and to seek out the neighborhood’s best bars. She also highlights a meal at “O Faia,” a Fado restaurant with an “overwhelming” wine list and memorable Fado performances.
In the end, the author found the essence of Lisbon to be evidently “artistic, creative, laidback and engaging,” and to understand why, you can read the entire article: Lisbon in 48 Hours and 12 stops
And also be sure to see the other major article about Lisbon this month, found in Travel and Leisure magazine, as reported here: Where to Go Next: Lisbon

Lisbon’s most popular festival takes place every June on the 13th of the month. That’s Saint Anthony’s Day (the saint was born in Lisbon), and this year was no exception, with thousands of people filling the streets and alleys of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. But although that is over, the partying continues throughout Lisbon in the upcoming weeks. Until the end of the month you can still catch the Fado Festival which includes concerts in Saint George’s Castle, ending with a show by the current Fado queen Mariza on the 27th. That’s also the day of Lisbon’s Gay Pride parties which this year start at 4PM in the Belem district by Belem Tower. Several DJs will provide the soundtrack to the city’s celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots that led to the annual gay pride festivals around the world, and Lisbon will also be remembering one of its biggest gay icons, a popular singer from the 1980s, Antonio Variações, who died 25 years ago.
Special events continue days later with jazz performances in the city’s three famous funiculars (Bica, Gloria, and Santa Justa) every night at 11PM from July 1st to the 12th.
And until the 15th you may check out Combo Lisboa, a special event organized by the recently-opened Design and Fashion Museum where 13 shops downtown present Portuguese design pieces while also being turned into stages for theater performances.
Finally, on the 15th and 16th of July, the Berardo Museum marks its second anniversary with a non-stop 24-hour celebration with various dance performances, live DJs, and a special bar service. And best of all, it’s free!

Celebrating Midnight in Comercio Square
Thousands of people choose to be in Lisbon’s largest square at midnight, when the new year is welcomed in a festive atmosphere. That’s where you’ll be able to see the city’s fireworks show more closely, with the square and the river being flooded with a variety of colors and lights.

A Michelin-Star Welcome to 2009
198 euros (per person and without drinks) gets you a Michelin-star ending to 2008 and start of 2009. Overlook Lisbon from Eleven, the restaurant standing at the top of Edward VII Park.  If you get the right table, its special menu (at that special price) will also get you views of the fireworks at midnight taking place down by the river. On the menu you’ll have both meat and fish courses and a varied selection of desserts.

Special Dinner by the Tagus
A cheaper but equally worthy alternative to Eleven is moving closer to the river and going for Virgula’s special New Year’s menu. It’s only 95 euros (without wine) and includes a special selection of two fish or meat dishes, ending with a chocolate pyramid for dessert.

Saying Good-Bye and Welcoming 2009
Last August, GoLisbon told you that the lounge-bar-restaurant-club Kubo was the place to be in the summer. Turns out it stayed open for the fall and it will only be closing its doors until the summer of 2009 on New Year’s Day. It made a few changes in its autumn season, and was no longer an open-air space, although it did it with glass, so the Tagus views are still there. The best way to guarantee a spot when midnight arrives is to go for dinner after 7PM and get ready for the New Year’s cheers which start at 10.

Where the Party is Always at
If you’ve been reading GoLisbon (and its blog), you already know that Lux is Lisbon’s party house, and even after a decade since it opened, it still is the club with the most happening New Year’s celebrations. Do note that it’s “New Year’s,” and not “New Years’s Eve,” as it opens its doors when it’s already 2009, at 1 in the morning.

An Alternative New Year’s Party
Lisbon’s Lesboa parties originally had the city’s lesbian community in mind when they first took place, but they’re now special events (taking place every couple of months or so) for every lifestyle and gender. Those looking for a more casual and cheaper (45 euros) alternative to the traditional New Year’s Eve parties, this is the one to choose, with an open bar (champagne will be served at midnight) and city views from its hilltop location (Tapada da Ajuda). DJ Ivan Pica (ranked in a magazine as Spain’s #1 house music DJ) and Miss Jools (from Berlin) will mix the music, and those staying until the morning will have breakfast available (hot chocolate and cake). See the Lesboa website for more.

A few days ago GoLisbon told you about an upcoming lesbian party in the Portuguese capital. Today we present something for gay travelers of both sexes.
It’s now September, which is always the gayest month in the city. The annual Pride celebrations are in June, but it’s in September that Lisbon’s Gay and Lesbian Film Festival takes place. Called “Queer Lisboa,” this festival is one of the largest of its kind in Europe and this year will be the 12th edition. 

But that festival is not the only reason why this will be a gay September in Lisbon. It will be the city’s gayest month ever because there will be a number of major gay events happening almost back to back.

The first gay invasion will be on September 4th, when the Celebrity Constellation gay cruise stops in the city. It departed from London on August 30th and arrives at its final destination, Barcelona, on September 9th. The stop in Lisbon will take about 24 hours, during which the passengers descend (or ascend) the city’s streets and enjoy an evening out in the city’s restaurants, bars, and clubs. The cruise covers nine cities, but only makes an overnight stop in Lisbon and Ibiza.

Then on September 13th the first annual “Sparkling Party” will be held at Bela Vista Beach (next to the famous gay Beach 19) south of the city. DJ sounds mix with sand and the sea, for all-night partying before the Madonna concert on the 14th. The Queen of Pop will be in Lisbon for her “Sticky & Sweet” show, and as is always the case, a large percentage of the crowd will be her gay fans.

As for the Queer Lisboa Film Festival, its opening night is on the 19th and will screen the best of international gay cinema until the 27th. Dozens of films from several countries will be competing for “Best Feature,” “Best Documentary,” and “Best Short Film,” as well as for the “Best Actor” and “Best Actress” awards. This year the festival is held in São Jorge Cinema in Avenida da Liberdade, and in addition to the screenings there will be associated parties and debates about GLBT cinema.

If these events sound good to you, come to Lisbon in September. Other places to go are found in GoLisbon’s Gay and Lesbian page, which also lists the city’s gay and gay-friendly hotels.

They don’t rhyme but they could very well be misspellings of each other. “Lisbon” and “Lesbian” are not etymologically related either, but you will start seeing those two words used in the same sentence more frequently from now on. That’s because Lisbon is discretely becoming a lesbian-friendly city. It’s not exactly a liberal place like Amsterdam, it’s not a hot lesbian destination like the island of Lesbos, and it’s still rather homophobic when compared to other big capitals.

But it’s homophobic in a strangely tolerant way.Portugal’s attitude towards same-sex couples can be described in an oxymoronic way –- homophobically tolerant as in “don’t ask, don’t tell.” That is, they seem to accept the existence of homosexual couples (there have never been anti-gay marches or major anti-gay movements in the country), as long as they are not confronted with them. Because when confronted, they’ll just have to comply with their good-old Catholic upbringing and manifest their disapproval.  

So if you’re a lesbian couple coming to Lisbon, you won’t see many women holding hands. You will end up thinking all Portuguese girls who like other girls just get married and live unhappily ever after. While that’s true to a great extent, it seems it won’t be so for much longer. A young television host recently came out as a lesbian in the country’s most respected newspaper, and the reaction was no reaction. Portugal’s “homophobic tolerance” allowed her to proceed with work and life as usual. No one said “good for you,” no one reacted with a “so what?,” but no one responded negatively either. It was like it never happened.

The country only reacted a couple of years ago when it was directly confronted with the issue. A lesbian couple challenged the courts to allow them to get married. The current legislation doesn’t allow it, so they were denied their wish. But the country was forced to talk about it and polls showed the majority of Portuguese oppose such unions.

But as Portugal faces the issue less directly maybe minds and tolerance levels will be expanded. Take the Lesboa parties as an example. They take place two or three times a year, and this October there will be another edition with female DJs providing the dance music to accompany a night of drinking and fun socializing for people of all ages and sexual orientations. It will be the 2nd anniversary celebration and includes major sponsorship from myspace.com and one of the country’s major radio stations.

If you want to be in Lisbon for that, stay at one of the gay or gay-friendly hotels in the city. You’ll mostly find men there, but if you want to avoid stares during a public display of affection at the reception or breakfast room, those are the places to book. The GoLisbon gay & lesbian page lists the accommodation you should consider.

For an all-girls night out, do as everyone else does, and go to Bairro Alto. Your first stop should be Primas (“female cousins”). The name brings to mind those closet days when two inseparable girls, who perhaps even lived together, identified themselves as “cousins” to the more close-minded members of society. At this bar however, the closet has no door to be closed, and girls freely display their devotion to other girls as they choose a tune on the jukebox, play pool, or grab a drink.

Then it’s time to move to Purex not far away. The house drink is the Cosmopolitan, and although the space is not very big, the area with no seats is used for spontaneous dancing. It has a number of straight and gay male clients, but this is where the lesbian locals gather.

Then move on to Chueca. No, not the gayborhood in Madrid. You’re staying in Bairro Alto. Chueca is a lesbian-owned bar with a stylish contemporary décor where you can sit with a drink or stand by the door along with everyone else.

It’s now time to go clubbing. You can go to the all-sexual-orientations-friendly Fragil or to the lesbian club Maria Lisboa. It’s pretty spacious with a hot décor, and a variety of sounds that range from 80s pop to house.

When you wake up mid-morning or even in the afternoon on the following day, have a meal at Les Mauvais Garçons, a small romantic gay café in Bairro Alto. It serves light meals in a space decorated with old tables and couches, and with black and white photos of Paris on the walls.

End your Lisbon visit with a night at a Fado restaurant. It’s your way of experiencing a little of the local culture, while also sensing that these fado divas are no ordinary women –- in between their melancholic laments, there is a certain strong masculine side that, well, makes it look like Lisbon does blend the traits of all genders and sexual orientations. It makes you think that Lisbon could very well have a very strong lesbian side. And it’s not just in the name.