Blue Summer, a transdisciplinary festival dedicated to the promotion and dissemination of contemporary artistic expression in the Algarve, had its first edition in 2011, held over four days in Lagos, with a predominantly national programme. Since then, the festival has grown, expanding to the eastern Algarve, winning over audiences and establishing partnerships with a growing number of agents and institutions.
Standing out as a unique event in the region, Blue Summer has presented theatre, dance, performance, music, cinema and visual arts projects, combining works by both national and foreign artists. This established and recognised path coexists with initiatives by young creators, characterised by a more experimental approach.
In 2018, the festival inaugurated a new cycle, becoming biennial. During the intervening years, it has focused on collaborating with guest artists to further its mission of decentralisation and strengthening relations with local contexts, communities and the artistic fabric of the region. This translates into creative residencies, research laboratories and co-productions, the results of which are presented at each edition of the festival.