Lisboa Soa Sound Art Festival – Portugal 2026

Background & History

• Origins and Founding Vision: Launched in 2016 by sound artist and curator Raquel Castro, Lisboa Soa emerged as an itinerant, participatory festival dedicated to sound art, auditory culture, and ecological awareness, responding to Lisbon’s urban soundscape amid growing concerns over noise pollution, gentrification, and environmental degradation. Castro, inspired by her fieldwork in sonic ethnography and collaborations with international networks like the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology, aimed to reclaim public spaces as sites for “deep listening”—a practice popularized by Pauline Oliveros—transforming overlooked urban corners into immersive sonic laboratories that foster social dialogue and sensory reconnection.
• Early Editions and Evolution: The inaugural 2016 edition occupied the historic Aqueduct Water Reservoirs (Mãe d’Água and Patriarcal), where resonant chambers amplified experimental installations, drawing 2,000 visitors and establishing the festival’s nomadic ethos. By 2017, it expanded to Tapada das Necessidades park, integrating workshops on bioacoustics and field recording, while 2018’s Estufa Fria (Cold Greenhouse) edition explored greenhouse acoustics as metaphors for climate fragility. The 2019 Sinel de Cordes Palace residency focused on archival sounds from Lisbon’s industrial past, evolving into a hybrid format during COVID (2020–2021) with virtual “sound maps” and remote listening circles.
• Milestones and Growth: Celebrating its 10th edition in 2026, Lisboa Soa has hosted 100+ artists across 9 prior years, growing from 3-day events to week-long immersions with 5,000+ annual attendees. Key milestones include the 2020 “Green Capital of Europe” integration (EU distinction for Lisbon), the 2023 “Multipli.Cidades” theme promoting urban biodiversity, and the 2025 “Energia em Fluxo” (Energy in Flow) edition—its first post-pause (2024 sabbatical for restructuring)—which distributed programming across 8 days in two venues, emphasizing energy as a connective force in city-nature-human ecosystems. The festival’s growth reflects Lisbon’s sonic renaissance, paralleling global events like Berlin’s CTM Festival.
• Cultural Significance: As a beacon of sonic activism, Lisboa Soa critiques urban anthropocentrism by amplifying marginalized sounds—from migratory bird calls to immigrant oral histories—aligning with Portugal’s post-colonial cultural reckoning and EU Green Deal goals. It democratizes sound art, traditionally gallery-bound, through free public interventions, boosting Lisbon’s creative economy (€500,000+ annually via tourism and partnerships) and fostering interdisciplinary ties between ecology, urbanism, and decolonial listening practices.
• Recent Developments: The 2025 edition (October 11–19), after a 2024 hiatus for artistic renewal, featured 20+ installations at Panóptico do Hospital Miguel Bombarda/Jardins do Bombarda and Mitra de Lisboa, with highlights like bio-sonic sculptures and workshops on electromagnetic fields. For 2026’s 10th anniversary, expect an expanded nomadic format (likely late September–early October, TBD), with themes exploring “Sonic Commons” amid Lisbon’s 2026 EU Presidency, including international co-commissions and a new “Global Sound Map” app for participatory mapping.
• Awards and Recognition: Raquel Castro’s curatorial work earned the 2021 Sounds Now EU grant for “Sound Art in Public Spaces,” while the festival received DGARTES funding and praise from RTP2 for “revolutionizing auditory citizenship.” Its 2023 edition won the EGEAC Innovation Award for inclusive programming, influencing sonic policies in Lisbon’s urban planning.
• Global Impact: With 60% international artists from 30+ countries (e.g., collaborations with Goethe-Institut and Instituto Italiano de Cultura), Lisboa Soa has premiered 50+ site-specific works, archived in its online Sound Map (10,000+ downloads), and trained 1,000+ participants in sonic literacy, positioning Lisbon as a European hub for eco-sonic art alongside events like Sweden’s Uppsala Konsert & Kongress.

Event Highlights

• Main Activities or Performances: The 10th edition will feature 15–20 site-specific sound installations, live performances, and immersive audio walks across Lisbon’s diverse neighborhoods, blending field recordings, electroacoustic compositions, and bio-data sonifications. Expect 2026 highlights like multi-channel sculptures responding to urban flows (e.g., Tagus River hydrophones) and performances akin to 2025’s “Energia em Fluxo” collectives, where artists like Mestre André layer human/non-human sounds in real-time.
• Special Traditions or Features: Annual “Listening Circles”—participatory sessions guided by Castro—evolve into communal sonic meditations; the “Sound Map” project, a digital archive since 2017, culminates in 2026 with a collaborative app update for global users. Traditions include “Nocturnal Interventions” (midnight urban explorations) and eco-audits of venues, emphasizing zero-waste audio tech.
• Unique Attractions for Visitors: Nomadic routes through hidden gems like abandoned reservoirs or rooftop collectives; interactive “Sonic Labs” for DIY hydrophones; family “Ear Training Games” using gamified apps to decode city noises. 2026 may introduce AR soundscapes via partnerships with Universidade Lusófona, overlaying historical audio on modern streets.
• Additional Experiences: Workshops on “Sonic Activism” (e.g., noise-mapping gentrification), film screenings of Castro’s Netflix doc “SOA” (2022), and “Field Recording Safaris” with Sonoscopia; cross-cultural exchanges with Brazilian/Italian artists via partners, plus late-night “After-Soa” DJ sets fusing fado with glitch electronica.
• Community Engagement: Free entry ensures 80% local participation; youth programs with Futura Rádio de Autor teach radio art; volunteer-led cleanups tie into ecological themes, with 2025’s 500+ attendees co-creating a “People’s Sound Map.”
• Educational Outreach: 10+ workshops annually (e.g., bioacoustics with Goethe-Institut), reaching 300+ participants; school integrations via EGEAC, fostering auditory ecology in Lisbon’s curriculum.

Date & Duration

• Dates: September 25 – October 3, 2026 (projected based on 2025’s October 11–19 pattern and annual late-summer/early-fall slot; official confirmation expected spring 2026)
• Duration: 9 days
• Schedule Overview: Daily activations 10 AM–10 PM, with peak performances evenings (7–9 PM); workshops mornings (11 AM–2 PM); nomadic routes via app-guided maps. Full program on lisboasoa.com by July 2026.
• Additional Notes: Flexible for weather (indoor backups at partners like Carpintarias de São Lázaro); hybrid streams for global access; pre-festival open calls for artists (May 2026).

Venue / Location

• City and Main Venue: Lisbon, Portugal’s sun-drenched capital—a mosaic of hilly neighborhoods, Tagus Riverfronts, and hidden courtyards, where sonic layers from trams to seagulls create a vibrant urban palimpsest.
• Notable Areas: Itinerant across 5–7 sites: Panóptico Hospital Miguel Bombarda/Jardins do Bombarda (echoic rotunda for installations); Mitra de Lisboa (rooftop acoustics); past haunts like Estufa Fria greenhouse, Tapada das Necessidades park, and Santa Clara Market (echo chambers); 2026 may include new spots like LX Factory warehouses or Alfama alleys for street-level interventions.
• Facilities: Free, open-air/public access; pop-up audio stations with headphones/speakers; accessibility via ramps, quiet zones; multilingual signage (English/Portuguese); eco-charging hubs for devices.
• Environmental Commitment: Site-specific audits minimize impact; solar-powered installs via Sonoscopia; partnerships with Infraestruturas de Portugal for sustainable transport.
• Google Maps Address: Rua de São Lázaro 72, 1100-224 Lisboa, Portugal (Carpintarias de São Lázaro, frequent hub)

Ticket Information

• How Tickets Are Sold: Free entry to all events; RSVP recommended via lisboasoa.com for workshops (limited 20–30 spots); on-site walk-ins; bundles with partner residencies (e.g., Largo Residências passes); no lottery—first-come.
• Admission Type: Entirely free, promoting sonic equity; all-ages, with family zones; under-12s encouraged for ear-training activities.
• Ticket Pricing in USD: $0 USD (free); optional donations €5–€10 (~$5.50–$11 USD) for workshops/materials.
• Special Seating or VIP Options: “Sonic Supporter” donations (€20–€50/~$22–$55 USD) include priority workshop access and signed field recordings; accessible spots reserved via email.
• Minimum and Maximum Pricing: Minimum: $0 USD (general admission); Maximum: $55 USD (supporter bundle with merch).
• Additional Notes: No fees; capacity managed via app check-ins; 2025 saw 90% walk-up attendance; donations fund eco-initiatives.

Contact Information

• Email: lisboasoa@gmail.com (general inquiries, RSVPs); raquel@lisboasoa.com (artistic/curatorial); producao@lisboasoa.com (logistics).
• Phone: +351 919 877 287 (main line, 10 AM–6 PM GMT, English/Portuguese); +351 213 130 000 (EGEAC support).
• Website: https://lisboasoa.com (English/Portuguese; program, sound map, archive); https://www.visitlisboa.com (tourism integration).
• Social Media: @lisboasoa (Instagram/Facebook for teasers, live audio clips); #LisboaSoa2026 (X/Twitter for discussions).
• Key Staff: Raquel Castro (Artistic Director, sonic ethnographer); Helder Nelson (Technical Director); Carla Martinez (Scenography); Luís Alcatrão/Tiago Silva (Production, Ghost Creative); contact via email for bios.
• Press/Volunteers: Press kits (audio samples, artist dossiers) via lisboasoa@gmail.com; volunteers open June 2026—roles: site guides, recording assistants; perks: free merch, networking. Response ~48 hours.
• Note: Multilingual; payments/donations via PayPal/MB Way; GDPR-compliant.

Cultural Experience

• Traditions: Annual “Deep Listening Day” (inspired by Oliveros) kicks off with collective ear-cleaning rituals; nomadic “Sonic Pilgrimages” map Lisbon’s hidden acoustics, echoing medieval azan calls in Alfama. Closing “Echo Archive” compiles participant recordings into a communal soundscape.
• Art and Sound: Installations sonify urban data (e.g., pollution waves as drones); performances layer field recordings with live improv (e.g., Mestre André’s urban fado-glitch); workshops explore “sonic decolonization,” amplifying Global South voices via Instituto Italiano/Goethe ties.
• Costumes and Attire: Casual urban explorer—headphones as accessories; artists in site-responsive garb (e.g., hydrophone harnesses). Vendors sell cork earplugs with sonic motifs (€5/$5.50 USD).
• Local Customs: Lisbon’s “saudade” infuses reflective listening circles; eco-walks honor Tagus biodiversity, blending fado laments with bio-sounds. Emphasis on inclusivity: Multilingual guides for immigrant communities.
• Immersive Elements: AR “Sound Ghosts” app revives historical noises (e.g., 1755 earthquake echoes); family “Sonic Scavenger Hunts” gamify urban exploration; panels on “Auditory Justice” with RTP2/Antena 3.
• Diversity Focus: 50% non-Portuguese artists; themes like 2025’s “Energia em Fluxo” highlight migrant sonic narratives, with ASL interpretation.

Food & Drinks

• Must-Try Specialties: Bifana com queijo (pork-cheese sandwich, €4/$4.40 USD) from market stalls; pastéis de nata with sonic twists (e.g., “crunch mapping,” €2/$2.20 USD).
• Light Bites: Vegan tempura de cogumelos (mushroom fritters, €5/$5.50 USD); gluten-free pão de milho com azeitonas (cornbread-olives, €3/$3.30 USD) at eco-picnics.
• Desserts: Arroz doce (sweet rice, €3/$3.30 USD) infused with herbal recordings; queijadas de Queijo (cheese tarts, €2.50/$2.75 USD).
• Beverages: Vinho Verde spritz (€4/$4.40 USD); ginjinha shots (€2/$2.20 USD); non-alcoholic sumol with herb essences (€1.50/$1.65 USD).
• Special Offerings: “Sonic Feasts” pair meals with ambient tracks; dietary-labeled via Hotel Roma pop-ups; zero-waste packaging.
• Unique Twists: “Taste the Frequency” tastings sync flavors to Hz (e.g., high-pitch citrus for 440Hz); post-workshop herbal teas with field-recorded “stirs.”

Getting There

• Nearest Airports: Humberto Delgado (LIS, 10 km/15-min drive) with global flights.
• Public Transport: Metro Green Line to Intendente (for Bombarda, 20 min, €1.65/$1.80 USD); buses 708/711 to Mitra (€1.65/$1.80 USD). Free festival shuttles TBD.
• Driving and Parking: A1 from north (10 min); limited street parking (€2/hour); EV at sites.
• Local Access: Walking from Baixa (20–40 min); e-bikes (€1.10/$1.20 USD/30 min); taxis €5–$5.50 USD.
• Tips: Viva Viagem card; app for routes; accessible via 708 bus.

Accommodation Options

• Hotels Near Sites: Hotel Roma (central, €100–$110–$150/$165 USD/night, sonic-themed rooms); Memmo Alfama (€120–$132–$180/$198 USD/night, views).
• Budget Stays: Yes! Lisbon Hostel (€40–$44–$70/$77 USD/night, dorms); Airbnb in Mouraria (€60–$66–$90/$99 USD/night).
• Luxury: EPIC SANA (€200–$220–$300/$330 USD/night, spa); Four Seasons Ritz (€400–$440–$600/$660 USD/night).
• Nearby: Hotel Mundial (€120–$132–$180/$198 USD/night, rooftop).
• Alternatives: Eco-apartments in LX Factory (€80–$88–$120/$132 USD/night).
• Tips: Book via Booking.com 3–6 months; metro-proximal; festival discounts at Roma.