In statements to the Lusa news agency, the president of the Municipal Association of Feiras Novas, Gonçalo Rodrigues, said that this is a "very important event for the municipality" because the festivities "reflect the very unique way of life of the inhabitants of the municipality and represent everything related to tradition, customs, and values ​​that the people of Limianos want to show the world," he added.

According to the proposed classification as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2023, the “Feiras Novas,” as they have been called since 1826, the year of official authorisation by Royal Decree of the Chancellery of D. Pedro IV, fall within the category of cyclical festivities, marked by a strong religious and cultural inclination.

The municipal festivities, which always take place in September, “draw their roots in devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows and attachment to the land and traditions, presenting and maintaining an eclectic program that establishes a perfect symbiosis between the cycle of nature and the liturgical calendar.”

“In fact, it is the people of Limianos who make the festival happen, and they have an interesting characteristic: often, through their active participation in the various activities of the program, they manage to make the festival viable, participating and transmitting this legacy to younger people so that they can maintain it in the future.” “They end up creating a truly different kind of festival because of the strong sense of belonging they want to share with everyone who comes to the Feiras Novas,” he said.

For Gonçalo Rodrigues, who is also a councilor in the Ponte de Lima City Council, “the inclusion of the Feiras Novas in the National Inventory of Cultural and Material Heritage is a recognition that greatly attests to the cultural and historical value of the festival, which ultimately contributes significantly to the transmission of culture, values, and traditions associated both with the festival and with the territory and its people.”

The organiser announced that the 2026 edition will take place from 9 to 14 September, and that the historical parade will be dedicated to the history of the Feiras Novas.

Organised by the Feiras Novas Municipal Association and the city council, the festival program includes the traditional Alto Minho folk groups, which bring together hundreds of concertina players and singers in a challenging performance, being one of the highlights of the program.

On that day, the concertina parade that kicks off the festivities starts at 9:30 PM and lasts until dawn, bringing together singers and musicians, as well as many others who join the party spontaneously.

The program includes the traditional ethnographic and historical parades, the livestock fair, and livestock competitions.

The booming of drums, groups of Zés Pereiras (traditional folk dancers), bagpipers, brass band concerts, fado, folklore, musical performances, fireworks, a pony race, and a bullfight are all part of the program for the annual festival in Ponte de Lima.

On Tuesday, the 200th anniversary celebration of the Feiras Novas will combine moments of homage and culture. The celebration includes the unveiling of the poster and program for the 2026 Feiras Novas, the event's new brand, and the presentation of the book commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Feiras Novas, a special edition that records the memory and evolution of this centuries-old tradition.

The inauguration of the temporary exhibition "The Feiras Novas in Posters," which brings together graphic pieces and visual records from recent decades, and the presentation of a documentary about the Feiras Novas are other highlights of the festival, which concludes with a fireworks display symbolising the beginning of a new century of Feiras Novas.