Amarante has expressed a strong desire to become the Portuguese Capital of Culture in 2028. This ambition was stated by the Mayor, Jorge Ricardo, during an event that gathered hundreds of artists and thousands of citizens to mark the candidacy. "We want to present ourselves here with a great candidacy, one that we can win. We truly want to be the Portuguese Capital of Culture in 2028, because we believe Amarante has the conditions for it, and because we want more artists, more shows, and more audiences from all over the country to come here," the mayor stated.
Jorge Ricardo emphasized that the candidacy process is already generating strategic benefits for the municipality, regardless of the final outcome. He highlighted the recent approval of the Strategic Culture Plan for the decade 2026-2036, voted on in a council and municipal assembly meeting. "This is already an effective gain for the municipality, to know what it wants, where it stands, and where it wants to go. This candidacy challenges us to that and much more," he stressed, assuring that the ongoing planning will serve as a launchpad for the future: "We want 2028 to be the motto for the following years. We are building this candidacy so that 2029 and the years after allow Amarante to have almost unique conditions for creation, so that more talents emerge and more geniuses appear".
With the aim of transforming the "place of genius into the genius of the place," the mayor recalled the cultural heritage of figures such as Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, Agustina Bessa-Luís, Teixeira de Pascoaes, Acácio Lino, and António Carneiro, all linked to the municipality. The candidacy strategy is coordinated by commissioner Martim Sousa Tavares, praised by the mayor for "understanding the value and history of Amarante in the national panorama".
Amarante is, to date, the only candidacy representing the North of the country. The municipality aims to involve the entire region, with the support of the Intermunicipal Community of Tâmega and Sousa. "The objective is to involve the entire territory. If we win, the victory will be for an entire region," highlighted Jorge Ricardo, adding that the title will act as an "accelerator" for investment and the attraction of financial and institutional support, particularly through CCDR-N and Turismo do Porto e Norte.
The public presentation of the candidacy included a diverse show at the city's cinema-theatre, featuring performances by drum groups, folk groups, philharmonic bands, theatre, Amarante viola music, and the participation of the Orquestra do Norte. The event concluded with a festive parade to Largo de São Gonçalo, where thousands of spectators applauded the hundreds of members from Amarante's cultural associations.
