The coordinator of the 2026 Festas da Praia is César Toste, who intends to continue working to bring the various localities in the municipality closer to the festivities.

“My goal is for the festivities to bring the municipality even closer together, so that everyone feels that these are their festivities, that they represent our identity as beachgoers,” he told DI (Diário Insular newspaper) yesterday.

César Toste has already been involved in several projects related to the Beach Festivities. In this year’s edition, he participated in the organization of the ethnographic parade. Since 2008, he has also collaborated in organizing the festivities in the village of Lajes. “It’s something I’m passionate about, everything related to our traditions. It was an invitation that came up, which I accepted, and I will try my best to bring together a group of people who will put into it what I try to put into it, which is love for the land,” he summarized.

The goal is for the 2026 edition to be “in line with the excellent 2025 edition.”

There are several steps to bring the village and the parishes closer to the festivities. “The aim of creating the working group is to have representatives from the parishes and the village of the municipality. This will be one of my first objectives. The second will be that, in terms of the coordinator’s own skills, he will be able to translate everything that is good in the municipality into added value, whether in traditions, philharmonic bands, Carnival, sports, etc.,” said César Toste.

Those involved in culture in the municipality will also be presented with ideas for the Festas. “Similar to the concert by the Filarmónica União Praiense, which performed an ABBA show this year. It’s about bringing in people from outside, but above all, valuing those from within. That’s how you keep culture going and make it shine during the other 365 days of the year,” he argued. Another goal, he pointed out, is to keep strengthening ties with emigrant communities.

The announcement about the new coordinator was made by the mayor of Praia da Vitória. “César Toste has a deep knowledge of our history and traditions and is a well-known figure in the revitalization and active participation in local institutions. We believe that he will bring this knowledge and dynamism to the 2026 Praia Festivities, further consolidating the festivities as a highlight in our calendar,” said Vânia Ferreira, quoted in a statement from the municipality.

“We have come to the end of this year’s edition, which has been a success in every respect. The city and the municipality were full of people, there was a significant economic boost and very strong social and cultural interaction. All the stages and components of the festivities were of a high standard. So we have many reasons to be proud. I am sure that all this will be repeated in 2026,” she continued.

The Festas da Praia for 2026 will take place from July 31 to August 9.

In Diário Insular-José Louenço-director.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.