Sino-Portuguese cultural encounter in vibrant resonance Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries and GEG Lusofonia Festival inaugurated

The President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man, presented certificates of appreciation for representatives of 10 Portuguese-speaking communities

Under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and supported by the Macao Government Tourism Office, the Municipal Affairs Bureau, TDM – Teledifusão de Macau, S.A., and Air Macau Company Limited, the 7^th “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries” will be held from October to December 2025. The event is once again held in parallel with the “2025 GEG Lusofonia Festival” and feature six core activities, including the “Spiritual Narrative – 2025 Annual Arts Exhibition between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries”, the “Chinese and Portuguese Picture Book Fair”, the “GEG Traditional Music and Dance Performance in the Community”, the “7^th China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival”, the “Vanessa da Mata Concert with the Macao Chinese Orchestra”, and the “Chinese and Portuguese Tasting Workshop”, counting with the participation of over 780 artists and performers from home and abroad, and presenting over 80 spectacular programmes to residents and tourists.

The opening ceremony of the 7^th “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” and the “2025 GEG Lusofonia Festival” was held today (24 October) at the Amphitheatre of the Taipa Houses and was officiated by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man; the Deputy Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Bai Bing; the Consul General of Portugal in Macao , Alexandre José dos Reis Leitão; the Consul-General of Mozambique in the Macao SAR, Rodrigues Victorino Muebe; the Financial Attaché of the Consulate General of the Republic of Angola in the Macao SAR, Elisio de Oliveira; the Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the Chairman of the Administration Committee on Municipal Affairs of the Municipal Affairs Bureau, Chao Wai Ieng; the Director of Corporate Affairs of Galaxy Entertainment Group, Buddy Lam; and the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Executive Committee and General Manager of Air Macau Company Limited, Wu Lixin; and was attended by the Vice Presidents of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Cheang Kai Meng and Choi Kin Long; the member of the Administrative Committee of the Cultural Development Fund, Hoi Kam Un; the members of the Cultural Heritage Committee and representatives of various partner entities.

GEG Lusofonia Festival to be held for two consecutive weekends focuses on Angolan culture

Jointly organised by IC and the Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG), the “2025 GEG Lusofonia Festival” will be held from 24 October to 2 November at the Taipa Houses from Fridays to Sundays across two weekends. The Festival combines music and dance, games, gastronomy and cultures from different Portuguese-speaking countries and regions, allowing residents and tourists to experience the diverse charm of Lusophone cultures.

Entering its 28^th edition this year, the Lusofonia Festival will focus on Angolan culture and showcase the characteristics of various Portuguese-speaking countries. The six-day event features cultural exhibitors from ten Portuguese-speaking communities residing in Macao, namely Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, East Timor, Goa, Daman and Diu, as well as the Macanese community, presenting music, handicrafts, traditional costumes, gastronomy and touristic information. Impressive performances will be presented by performing groups from 10 Portuguese-speaking countries and regions and 40 local Portuguese-speaking artists, including music and dance performances on the main stage at the Amphitheatre of the Taipa Houses and the secondary stage in Largo do Carmo.On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, Portuguese traditional games, table football tournaments and various games for children will be available at Largo do Carmo. In addition, a temporary restaurant will operate in the Taipa Municipal Garden and Largo do Carmo, serving different specialties from the Portuguese-speaking countries. Light music performances will also be presented, allowing the public to enjoy in the cultural feast with delicacies.

To offer the public more fun, the “Check-in for Rewards Station” will be set up during designated periods. Participants who join the check-in activity and complete the designated tasks will enter a lucky draw and may win fabulous prizes.

Arts and Cultural Festival launched simultaneously, presenting the cultural and artistic glamour of China and the Lusophone countries with six core activities

The “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” is launched with the six core activities simultaneously. The Chinese and Portuguese Picture Book Fair will be held from 24 October to 2 November at the Carmo Hall, displaying and selling more than 800 picture books and children's books mainly in Chinese and Portuguese. Various outreach activities will also be held during the event, including book promotion sessions, workshops, hand puppet performances and hand and face painting experiences, in order to encourage parent-child reading and cultivate a deeper interest in artistry. Moreover, the “GEG Traditional Music and Dance Performance in the Community” invited a dance group from Mainland China and eight art troupes from the Portuguese-speaking countries and regions, namely Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, East Timor, Brazil, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea, and Goa, Daman and Diu to present ebullient performances at the Galaxy Macau™ Integrated Resort and different neighbourhoods across Macao during the Lusofonia Festival. The 2025 Annual Arts Exhibition between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries will be held from November 2025 to March 2026 at the Exhibitions Gallery and Nostalgic House of the Taipa Houses. Bringing together contemporary creations by artists from Macao, Mainland China, and Portuguese-speaking countries, the exhibition invites visitors to embark on an artistic journey and explore Chinese and Lusophone cultures.

In addition, the 7^th China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival will present the opening film Green Wave at the Galaxy Cinemas at Galaxy Macau™ Integrated Resort on 14 November, followed by nearly 30 works at the Cinematheque・Passion from 15 November to 5 December. The Festival will also feature various outreach activities including community screenings, talks, post-screening seminars and workshops. The “Vanessa da Mata Concert with the Macao Chinese Orchestra” will be staged on 15 November at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. Under the baton of the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Macao Chinese Orchestra Zhang Lie, it will feature Vanessa da Mata’s classic songs adapted to Chinese musical instruments, unveiling the beauty of the fusion of Chinese and Brazilian music. In November, the “Chinese and Portuguese Tasting Workshop” will include three sessions of Hand-brewing Coffee Workshops and three sessions of Chocolate Sculpture Workshops for Families, allowing participants to experience the integration of Chinese and Lusophone cultures in the arts of coffee and cocoa.

Registration for the workshops of the “Chinese and Portuguese Picture Book Fair” and the “Chinese and Portuguese Tasting Workshop” is now open. Interested parties can register through the “Activity Applications” of Macao One Account (activity.mo.gov.mo/activity-h5/activity-list-web). If the number of registrants exceeds the maximum number of participants, participants will be selected by drawing lots. Successful registrants will be notified by SMS.

In order to further promote the participation of residents and tourists, this edition of the Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries continues to provide special offers. Members of the public can enjoy exclusive offers for a series of activities by presenting tickets for the Film Festival or the concert, or receipts from the picture book fair featured in the Festival.

For more information about the Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, please visit the event’s webpage at www.icm.gov.mo/FCP.