The energy crisis is leading municipalities across the country to plan to have their Christmas lighting turned on for shorter periods than in other years and to resort to the use of low-consumption technologies.

Lisbon lights

In the city of Lisbon, where the City Council is once again investing around 750 thousand euros on decorations, Christmas lights will be on between December 6th and January 6th, with a reduction in the daily operating hours, the longest of which will be from 6pm until 1am on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.

Another measure taken by the capital to reduce consumption is the use of LED technology lamps, to guarantee "savings of 50%" in relation to 2021.

The Câmara de Oeiras, in the district of Lisbon, has decided this year to turn on the Christmas lights only on December 6th, and until January 6th, between 18:00 and 00:00. In previous years, the Christmas lights were switched on from November 11th and remained on every day until 01:00.

Porto decorations

In Porto, Christmas lighting will be on from the last day of November until the day after Kings Day, which is celebrated on January 6th.

During the Christmas season, the lighting, using low-consumption LED technology, will operate from Sunday to Thursday between 18:00 and 23:00. On Fridays, Saturdays, and the eve of public holidays, the operating hours will last until midnight.

Also in the district of Porto, the Viana do Castelo City Council has also taken measures to reduce energy consumption, using LED lamps and limiting the periods in which the Christmas lights will be on.

Central

In the capital of the district of Viseu, Christmas lighting is once again placed on the same streets as in previous years, although a more restrained management is planned, with fewer hours and fewer days.

Further south, in Caldas da Rainha, in the district of Leiria, lighting will be on for seven days and the number of lamps will be reduced from the four million used in 2021 to just 2.8 million this year, according to the Commercial Association.

The usual 385 hours of lighting drops this year to 290 hours with the lights on, which will translate into a reduction in energy consumption from 18 to 13 megawatts.

In Porto de Mós, also in the district of Leiria, the City Council decided not to install the traditional Christmas lighting this year, opting to place only a small note on the castle to mark Christmas.

Alentejo

The municipality of Vendas Novas, in the district of Évora, decided to turn off the external lights of municipal buildings to save energy and has also opted to place festive lighting in fewer places.

In the same district, the Alentejo municipality of Montemor-o-Novo informed that it will reduce the daily period of operation of Christmas lighting, with the lights on between December 1 and January 6, 2023.

Algarve

In Faro, Algarve, Christmas lighting will be on for a significantly shorter period than in previous years, starting at dusk and being turned off at 00:00, while in 2021 it was on daily from 17:00 until 02:00.

Also in the district of Faro, the municipality of Portimão will this year reduce the period of Christmas lighting by 10 days compared to previous years - turning on the lights between December 6th and January 6th - and down by two hours a day.

Azores

The municipality of Povoação, on the island of São Miguel, in the Azores, will maintain its Christmas lighting in the centre of the village and in the crib of Caldeiras das Furnas, although with some restrictions, namely the reduction of the lighting hours, which should be turned off at 24:00 or 01:00, instead of staying until 02:00.

Still in the Azores archipelago, the Câmara de Angra doHeroísmo, on the island of Terceira, will also reduce the Christmas lighting hours, but the exact time when the lights will be turned off has yet to be defined, although it should be at 11pm or midnight.

Madeira

In Funchal, most Christmas and New Year's lighting is the responsibility of the Regional Government of Madeira, which has already announced some restrictions, due to the energy crisis.

Between the 8th of December and the 6th of January, the decorative public lighting in Funchal will be on from 18:00 to 00:00, with the exception of six days - 23, 24, 25, 30 and 31 December and 1 January – when they will remain lit until 01:00.

The few lights in the capital of Madeira, which are the direct responsibility of the municipality, follow the recommendations of the Regional Government.

In the municipality of Câmara de Lobos, on the west side of the island, the hours at which the lights remain on will also be reduced, although the exact hours have not yet been defined.