The financing protocol for the Ponta Delgada 2026 – Portuguese Capital of Culture project was signed yesterday at the Luís de Camões Auditorium.

The agreement was signed by the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, the President of the Regional Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, the Mayor of Ponta Delgada, Pedro Nascimento Cabral, and the Secretary of State for Tourism, Pedro Machado.

As agreed, the project will be financed with €2.3 million from the Governments of the Republic and the Azores, in addition to the €3 million allocated by the local authority to the Coliseu Micaelense for the promotion, management, and organization of the Ponta Delgada 2026 – Portuguese Capital of Culture project, under the program contract signed in December 2024.

The Ponta Delgada 2026 – Portuguese Capital of Culture project is curated by fado singer Katia Guerreiro, who is responsible for designing, developing, and implementing the cultural program that will mark the coming year.

According to Pedro Nascimento Cabral, this will be a decisive moment for the artistic enhancement and exaltation of Ponta Delgada’s cultural identity.

“In 2026, Ponta Delgada will be the Portuguese Capital of Culture, the beginning of a new stage for our cultural affirmation. This will be an opportunity to consolidate our Cultural Strategy and publicize the work of cultural agents from the 24 parishes, projecting the identity and creativity of the entire municipality,” he emphasizes.

As he points out, culture is seen as a strategic pillar of Ponta Delgada’s development, so much so that the municipality has invested €8.8 million in the area over the last four years.

Meanwhile, the Mayor anticipates that “2026 will certainly be a year of celebration, promotion, dissemination, and empowerment of artists and cultural agents” in Ponta Delgada.

“We will further elevate our cultural expressions, such as folklore, philharmonic bands, singing challenges, and religious celebrations in all our parishes, while continuing to invest in contemporary arts,” the mayor said.

The signing ceremony for the financing protocol for the Ponta Delgada 2026 – Portuguese Capital of Culture project was followed by the conference “CET 26 – Culture, Education, and Territory in the Place of Tomorrow,” which featured three thematic panels.

It should be remembered that Ponta Delgada was one of the four finalist cities competing to host the European Capital of Culture in 2027, with the team of experts ultimately choosing the city of Évora.

The creation of the Portuguese Capital of Culture was announced on December 7, 2022, at the Belém Cultural Center, praising the projects of the three finalist cities that were not chosen, namely Aveiro, Braga, and Ponta Delgada.

Alphabetical order ultimately dictated that Aveiro would take the title in 2024, Braga in 2025, and Ponta Delgada in 2026, as stated in the local authority’s note.

In Correio dos Açores-Natalino Viveiros-director.

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