Not withstanding any financial or weather woes, from this Friday (13 February) until next Tuesday the country will be thrown into the fun frenzy that is Carnival.
Most cities, towns and even some villages will be holding colourful processions and float parades to mark the event, which is enjoyed with as much gusto by the young as it is by the old.
While the actual Carnival holiday only falls next Tuesday, 17 February, celebrations will be taking place all over the weekend, with each region giving the festivities a local twist.
Children countrywide will no doubt already have chosen their costumes, while the organised set-ups will be putting the final flourishes to their floats, routines and performances.
More than 2,000 children are due to take part in a parade in the Algarve’s largest city, Faro, on Friday, starting at 10am in the Manuel Bivar gardens, which promises to fill the city’s main streets with joy and colour.
The neighbouring Algarve city of Loulé is known for having one of the grandest and the oldest Carnival pageants in Portugal and this year will follow the theme ‘Loulé, European City of Sport and Capital of Carnival Tradition’.
A total of 14 floats will be taking part in the spectacular Loulé festivities, which take place on 14, 15 and 17 February on the city’s streets and promise to be the biggest and best to date.
Given the sporty theme special attention will reportedly be given to star Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who won this year’s Balon D’Or for World’s Best Player.
Silves and Armação de Pêra will be hosting their festivities between Sunday (15) and Tuesday (17 February), while other towns throughout Portugal, from north to south of the country, will also be exploding into dance and colour.
Guarda, Ovar, Nazaré and Évora will no doubt be warming up for their events, which are known as being among the biggest and busiest in the country, while the capital Lisbon will be hosting its main event on Tuesday, 17 February, when three separate parades will travel through the neighbourhoods of Alfama, Castelo and Mouraria before meeting in the Figueira square and moving on to Terreiro do Paço, where the Grand Carnival Ball 2015 will take place.
Loures has said it expects some 55,000 people to visit its Hollywood-inspired event on 17 February, which will also feature entertainment from live DJs playing well into the wee hours.
Torres Vedras promises to offer the ‘Most Portuguese Carnival in Portugal’, while the islands of Madeira and the Azores will also be putting their own unique take on the celebrations to commemorate what is one of Portugal’s most colourful and lively traditional celebrations.
Meanwhile, Portugal’s PSP police officers will be staging nationwide action to ensure Carnival celebrations go off safely. The officers will primarily be focusing on the safety of children, road safety and the illegal selling of explosives and fireworks. The six-day Operation Safe Carnival 2015, which started on Thursday (12 February) and ends next Tuesday, overall aims to ensure and promote the safety of citizens and clamp down on crime which could spoil the celebrations.