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Teatro Municipal António Pinheiro: The doors open once again to culture.

 

After a long redevelopment intervention, the Teatro Municipal António Pinheiro reopens its doors to the city of Tavira and the region, returning to the community one of its most emblematic cultural spaces. This return comes with a diverse and ambitious programme, designed for all ages and audiences, where tradition and modernity meet and intersect.

The official opening takes place on 27 and 28 September with a highly symbolic performance, specially commissioned by the Municipality of Tavira. The singer Viviane, one of the most charismatic voices in Portuguese music, joins the Banda Musical de Tavira, which celebrates its centenary this year. This unique meeting emotionally marks the reopening of the Theatre: not only the deep-rooted tradition of a centenary institution, but also the contemporary creativity of a nationally recognised artist. A dialogue between generations that honours the past, celebrates the present, and projects the future of culture in Tavira.

Right at the beginning of October, the city will host two significant moments: on 1 October, World Music Day will be celebrated with a concert by Sofia Escobar, a Portuguese soprano with an international career, and on 5 October, the Orquestra do Algarve will take the stage with an excellent programme, reaffirming Tavira's connection to classical music. This is followed by concerts by artists who mark the national current scene: Capitão Fausto, on 26 October, Nena, on 2 November, and A Garota Não, on 29 November, three reference names that cross languages, generations and styles.

Focusing on the enhancement of local creation, the Theatre will also present the cycle Entre Marés e Acordes (Between Tides and Chords), which challenges Tavira projects to collaboratively create new performances. In this edition, Poetas Cantados and G.I.G.G.Y. will take the stage, joining forces in an unprecedented concert, made of artistic complicity and the fusion of words, music and sound experimentation.

In December, music will be associated with the city's identity and festive celebrations. On 4 December, the Theatre celebrates the 14th anniversary of the registration of the Mediterranean Diet as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, with a special concert by the Tavira project Marenostrum, which blends Mediterranean roots with contemporary arrangements, highlighting Tavira's role as a Representative Community of Portugal. A few days later, one of the most anticipated moments of this season arrives: the Christmas Concert of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, directly from New York, which will bring the timeless magic of swing and classic jazz, evoking the golden age of big bands and transforming the first Christmas of the renewed Theatre into a memorable event.

Theatre will also be in the spotlight throughout this season. On 18 October, Fernando Mendes presents his popular revue comedy “Insomnia”, and on 24 October, the date marking the anniversary of the Theatre's inauguration in 1917, Ruy de Carvalho will take the stage with the tribute show “Ruy, A Life Story”, celebrating a lifetime dedicated to art and culture. In November, one of the highlights of the theatrical programme will be the show “À Primeira Vista” (Prima Facie), featuring Margarida Vila-Nova, an intense and deeply human portrait of the fragilities and contradictions of relationships. In December, the season will close on a comedic note with Maria Rueff and Joaquim Monchique, the protagonists of the play “Home Sweet Home”, a social satire full of humour and irony. As a result of a protocol with the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II, the family show “It Can't Be! It Can't Be!" will also be presented in October. Integrated into the Off the Stage Theatre programme and taking place at the Álvaro de Campos Municipal Library, brings the younger ones closer to the theatrical universe. At the same time, in the foyer of the Teatro Municipal António Pinheiro, the exhibition “Told Portraits by Ruy de Carvalho” will be on display, dedicated to the life and work of the actor, with 98 years of life and 83 years of career, allowing the public to revisit the journey of one of the greatest figures in Portuguese culture.

Dance also takes on a relevant role. On 31 October, the Companhia Nacional de Bailado, after more than 20 years, returns to Tavira as part of the protocol with OPART, presenting the shows “Four Cantos in a Sonnet” and “Minus 16”. The inclusive spirit is expressed with the presentation of Dancing with a Difference in Tavira, in collaboration with Associação Vo’Arte, Fundação Irene Rolo, Banda Musical de Tavira, and D Dance Cia, in a show that celebrates diversity and sharing. Christmas will also be celebrated through dance, with the classic “The Nutcracker”, one of the most acclaimed ballets in the universal repertoire, and with “Movement and Magic: Tavira's Christmas in Motion”, created by D Dance Cia and Academia de Música de Tavira, reinforcing local talent with performances on different days.

Cinema will maintain its regular presence in Tavira, through Cinema Mondays, with a programme dedicated to commercial cinema, and the proposals from Tavira Cinema Club, which focuses on author and alternative cinematography. In November, the city will host the French Film Festival, bringing the best of contemporary French production to the public.

The António Pinheiro Municipal Theatre will also host initiatives aimed at families and children. On 25 October, the project Musicalmente presents “The Best First Concert”, dedicated to babies, parents and caregivers, in a moment of sharing and musical discovery.

Open to the community, the Theatre will also host the Band Festival of the Banda Musical de Tavira, the final work, the result of the dramatic expression workshop of the Armação do Artista Association, entitled “Once Upon a Time on the Lee Side”, and the usual Christmas Audition of the Academia de Música de Tavira. These initiatives are complemented by the Tavira Christmas Choir Concert, which will bring together in one show the Jubilate Deo Choir, the Grupo Coral de Tavira, and the Academia de Música de Tavira Choir, in a unique moment of meeting and sharing that reinforces the community spirit of this season. These events reaffirm the role of the Theatre as a shared, lively and dynamic space. At the same time, artistic mediation projects will be developed involving the school community of the municipality, through workshops, shows and discussions, bringing young people closer to the arts and creating habits of cultural participation from an early age. Training actions in different areas of culture will also be promoted, aimed at the general public, schools and the cultural ecosystem of the municipality, as a way of empowering and strengthening local skills.

And the best is yet to come. Already in the first quarter of 2026, the Theatre will host the traditional and well-attended Charolas Festival, the show “Amaramália”, by Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporâneo of choreographer Vasco Wellenkamp, and the acclaimed play “Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists”, by Tiago Rodrigues, currently the Director of the D’Avignon Festival in France, one of the leading names in European dramaturgy. The quarter will also feature João Baião and his contagious energy in “Baião d’Oxigénio”, a show of humour, music and good humour that promises to fill the Theatre with joy and audiences. These are just some of the milestones of a programme that will continue to surprise and affirm Tavira as a cultural reference in the Algarve and the country.

We invite the entire Tavira community, Eastern Algarve, and the region to participate in this new phase, to experience each show and to make the Theatre their cultural home.

The stage belongs to Tavira. The arts return home.

Adress

Teatro Municipal António Pinheiro

Rua D. Marcelino Franco, 22

8800-347 Tavira

Contacts

tm-antoniopinheiro@cm-tavira.pt

bilheteira.tm-antoniopinheiro@cm-tavira.pt

281 320 510

(Call cost according to your tariff plan)

Schedule

Tuesday to Saturday – 10:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. / 2:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m.

Box office closed on Mondays.

Tickets available at the Theatre’s reception desk, FNAC, Worten, CTT, Pousadas da Juventude, El Corte Inglés, Lojas Note!, Rede Serveasy e BOL

History +

Tavira had been one of the main municipalities in the Kingdom since the 15th century, as can be seen from the royal charter that granted it city status on 16 March 1520. However, it was not until 1853 that a record was found for an entity named “Dramatic Society”, which applied to the Town Hall for permission to remove the stone needed to build a venue for performances, known as the “Theatro Tavirense”, next to the Church of Santiago. A performance company worked at this theatre, which also hosted various theatrical performances over the years, including artists from the Teatro D. Amélia and the Teatro do Gymnásio. Later, the authorities closed the facilities down due to their poor condition.


It was during this period that a new type of entertainment made its appearance and began to excite the population - motion pictures. In 1909, a group of locals in Tavira set up a shed in Praça da Alagoa to screen films. Later, in 1910, the shed would be moved to Rua 1º de Maio, where it hosted various other shows in addition to film screenings.


In 1910, the precarious conditions of the “Theatro Tavirense” and the limited facilities of the Salão 1º de Maio, led a group of citizens to announce the opening of subscriptions for shareholders, who would carry out the construction of a theatre that would be “vast, comfortable and with the necessary safety conditions”. This space would be called “Theatro Circo”. For reasons unknown, the project never got off the ground.


In 1914, a group of citizens again initiated the idea of building a theatre that would ensure comfort and safety for the public.


And so, on 24 October 1917, the Teatro Popular was inaugurated, with three notable locals in attendance: António Pinheiro, Pavia de Magalhães and António Rebelo Neves.


In May 1942, on the initiative of Virgílio Monteiro, the then administrator of the Teatro Popular, in a rightful tribute to the greatest figure in theatre in Tavira and one of the leading cultural role models in Portugal at the time, it was suggested that the name be changed to Teatro António Pinheiro. The change was approved at the General Meeting of the Empresa de Espetáculos Tavirense.


In 1964, the Teatro António Pinheiro was sold to the company Cesário & Drago, Lda and shortly afterwards was demolished and rebuilt. In 1968, it was inaugurated under the name "Cine - Teatro António Pinheiro”. Thus, on 10 February the renovated venue reopened, presenting two screenings of the film "More Than a Miracle", starring Sofia Loren and Omar Sharif.


Over the years, the venue gradually lost standing as new facilities opened in the region and the owners had no option but to sell the Cineteatro António Pinheiro. Tavira Municipal Council purchased the property in 2001 and refurbishment began in 2018.


The renovation brought a new lease of life to the old Cineteatro António Pinheiro and the venue's name was changed once more: as property of the Municipality, it is now the António Pinheiro Municipal Theatre.

 

Mission +

The António Pinheiro Municipal Theatre is a welcoming facility, which also encourages and supports artistic creation, networking and the involvement of the community at large, the school community, and the associative ecosystem of the municipality of Tavira. As such, it is a very important anchor in the pursuit of the cultural policies defined by the Municipality. The aim is to develop a programme that fosters the democratisation of access to culture, as well as institutional cooperation between different levels of administration, helping to correct asymmetries, and also contributing to territorial cohesion and the development of populations in the municipality of Tavira, the Eastern Algarve and the whole Algarve region.

The António Pinheiro Municipal Theatre's mission is to present a regular, eclectic, quality and diverse programme for all, one that is accessible and inclusive and promotes the creation of audiences; a theatre open to the community and which contributes to artistic enjoyment, as well as the promotion and circulation of local, regional, national and international projects in the field of performing and musical arts, including the silver screen. A space dedicated to the celebration of Art in all its forms, a place of creation, expression and reflection, an open house for cultural, social and artistic diversity, reflecting the rich history and dynamism of the city, where the intention is for culture to be accessible, inclusive and transformative. Quoting Alberto Caeiro, one of Fernando Pessoa's heteronyms, "I am the size of what I see and not the size of my height", the Antonio Pinheiro Municipal Theatre is intended to be an expansive space that surpasses the physical and allows us to feel, perceive and expand our consciousness beyond the obvious and the immediate. The António Pinheiro Municipal Theatre aims to be a reflection of the world, a window through which the audience can cross over towards new perspectives and dimensions.

It also aims to promote a range of activities in various fields and is technically equipped for multipurpose use in areas such as music, theatre, dance, the performing arts, contemporary circus, cinema and opera, as well as colloquiums, meetings, seminars, conferences, congresses, stand-up performances and more.

Another priority is the development of educational processes and artistic mediation, which, on the one hand, seek to create tools that encourage participation by all communities and cultural identities, and, on the other, promote the relationship between culture and education in a perspective of lifelong learning, with a particular focus on stimulating artistic practices accessible to all levels of education, artistic creation, empowerment of the cultural fabric, critical thinking, citizenship and freedom of expression.

As well as the initiatives planned by the António Pinheiro Municipal Theatre/Municipality of Tavira, others promoted by third parties may also take place in the space, provided they effectively contribute to the cultural and artistic dynamism of the municipality, are of manifest public interest and are approved by the Municipality.

The aim is for the António Pinheiro Municipal Theatre to become more than a mere physical space but, rather, to be valued as a place that is loaded with social and cultural significance. A space replete with memories and affection, in which the community of Tavira recognises and finds itself, at each performance. By creating layers of meaning, the theatre becomes an extension of the local identity. We want the António Pinheiro Municipal Theatre to be seen as a place of experimentation and flow; a place where new languages and forms of expression can constantly arise, meet, transform and reconnect with the community and with new artistic expressions, representing the artistic vitality of the city. An active space that people experience not just as spectators, but as participants in the construction of the place creating a space that reflects the city, its history and its identity. Ultimately, we want the António Pinheiro Municipal Theatre to truly become a place where the community of Tavira recognises itself and expresses itself culturally, creating a space for continuous meeting and transformation.

It has been said that place and space play a fundamental role in the construction of social identities, as they are intimately linked to culture; as such, the Theatre, as a place of artistic expression, can be a point of cultural and social emancipation, breaking barriers and promoting inclusion. It is intended that the proposed programme will promote the emancipation of the audiences in a process of empowerment and liberation, allowing them greater critical and creative autonomy.

The António Pinheiro Municipal Theatre aims to be a place that the people of Tavira appropriate in the desired interaction, whether participating as spectators or performing in their own productions, building the place with their presence and making it something unique and alive, a culturally dynamic meeting point.

Spaces are reservoirs of memories and emotional images. In the context of the António Pinheiro Municipal Theatre, this poetics of space and memory can be applied to the understanding of how the Theatre is effectively a space of collective memory. Dating from 1917, and having been renovated several times, it is a venue where each performance, each interaction and each movement become part of the cultural identity of the place.

May audiences attending the theatre do so not merely as consumers of culture, but also as active and conscious participants in the cultural process. And may the programme serve as a means to promote this autonomy, leading audiences to question, reflect and potentially transform their social and cultural context.

We want the António Pinheiro Municipal Theatre to be not just a physical space but, rather, a place loaded with emotional significance; a place where people can forge, experience and feel a bond of affection, with symbolic values creating a connection and a sense of belonging.


Long live the António Pinheiro Municipal Theatre!



Team +

Sociocultural Development Department

Cristina Neto


Cultural Management and Artistic Direction Division 

José Barradas


Programme Assistant

Isabel Fernandes


Public Procurement

Telma Luz


Multimedia

Ivo Costa


Cultural Mediation

Manuela Ruivinho


Production

Sónia Salas

Miguel Peres Santos


Front Of House

Abílio Nascimento

Rita Crespo

Valério Rufino


Cleaning

Raquel Diogo

Olimpia Lourenço


Design

UNITED BY

Ticket Office +

Ticketing

  •  The ticket office is open from Tuesday to Saturday - 10.30 am - 1 pm and 2 pm - 5.30 pm
  •  The ticket office is closed on Mondays.
  •  On performance days, the ticket office opens 2 hours before the performance.
  •  In the 30 minutes leading up to the performance, only tickets for that performance are sold.
  •  The ticket office closes 30 minutes after the start of the performance.
  •  Please keep your ticket until the end of the performance.
  •  Please check your tickets at the time of purchase.
  •  Tickets are valid only for the session indicated.

 

Tickets are available for purchase at the Theatre reception, FNAC, Worten, CTT post offices, Youth Hostels, El Corte Inglés, Note! Stores, the Serveasy website and BOL

 

Bookings

  •  Bookings can be made by phone at 281 320 510 or by emailing bilheteira.tm-antoniopinheiro@cm-tavira.pt
  •  Tickets not paid for at the time of booking must be collected within 72 hours after booking or they will be cancelled.
  • Bookings are only accepted up to 3 days before the performance date.
  •  Reduced mobility seats are exclusively for people with physical disabilities. They are clearly marked at the ticket office and any other physical or online point of sale.

 

 

House Rules

  •  Doors generally open 30 minutes before the start of the performance.
  •  Entry is not permitted once the performance has started, unless specifically allowed by staff on duty.
  •  Filming, recording and photography are not permitted during performances.
  •  Smoking is not permitted in the Theatre.
  •  The use of mobile phones or other noise-emitting devices is not permitted inside the hall.
  •  Eating and drinking are not permitted inside the hall.
  •  Animals are not permitted, except for assistance animals, as provided for by current legislation.
Technical Rider +

  • Consult the technical rider here.
Networks: Rede Azul +
Rede Azul

Mission 

The Rede AZul – Algarve Theatre Network was created in 2016 with the mission of supporting regional cultural creation and production, optimizing existing infrastructures, and strengthening the artistic offering in the south of the country. 


Objectives 

It aims to facilitate the creation, loyalty, and training of audiences, enabling the establishment of conditions for the publication of a joint cultural agenda and the implementation of a shared management model for cultural venues. Among other objectives, the network also seeks to contribute to the training and qualification of professionals working in different cultural facilities. 


Axes 

Axis 1 – Support for creation 

Aims to enhance and enrich cultural creation in the region by supporting amateur artistic structures. 


Axis 2 – Programming 

Aims to carry out networked programming work, enabling the creation of synergies and economies of scale in the co-production and purchase of shows, as well as in the coordination of agendas. 


Axis 3 – Training 

Aims to contribute to the continuous training of teams, as well as to the qualification of the regional artistic fabric. 


Activity Plan 2025 

The activities to be developed in 2025 will focus on three key areas: 

  • Creation of a Showcase of Performances 
  • With the aim of developing and sustaining the creative cultural fabric of the Algarve, Rede Azul intends in 2025 to organize a showcase of performances created by Algarvian artists or those based in the region. The goal of this showcase is for each Rede Azul partner to be required to program at least one performance from this showcase during 2026. The performances programmed by the cultural facilities of Rede Azul must come from creators based in other municipalities within the Network. 


  • Launch of an Artistic Creation Call for creative structures in the Algarve 
  • Following up on the performances created in 2016 – “Leôncio e Lena” by LAMA Teatro, in 2018 – “Moda Vestra” by João Frade, Rafael Correia and Ana Perfeito, and in 2019 – “Diz-me, António” by Carolina Cantinho, Armando Correia and Pedro Pinto, Rede Azul aims to continue the call for artistic creation, directed to creative structures in the region, with the goal of developing new artistic works to be presented in 2026 in the various spaces that make up the Network. The call for artistic creation support will be launched in 2025, and the winner of this support may begin creation within the same year. 


  • Conferences and Debate Cycle 
  • In 2025, Rede AZul intends to organize a series of conferences and seminars on different cultural themes, initiatives that will take place in different venues within the network, aimed at people who work daily with cultural matters. 


Partners 

Rede AZul currently includes 13 partners, namely: 

  • Cineteatro Louletano 
  • Teatro das Figuras (Faro) 
  • Auditório Municipal de Albufeira 
  • Auditório Carlos do Carmo (Lagoa) 
  • Centro Cultural de Lagos 
  • Auditório Municipal de Olhão Maria Barroso 
  • TEMPO – Teatro Municipal de Portimão 
  • Cineteatro Jaime Pinto (São Brás de Alportel) 
  • Teatro Mascarenhas Gregório (Silves) 
  • Teatro Municipal António Pinheiro (Tavira) 
  • Centro Cultural António Aleixo (Vila Real de Santo António) 
  • Auditório da Biblioteca Municipal de Castro Marim 
  • Centro Cultural de Vila do Bispo 


Rede AZul Contacts 


Rede AZul Partners Contacts 

Cineteatro Louletano 


Teatro das Figuras (Faro) 

  • Address: Rua João de Brito Vargas, 8005-518 Faro 
  • Email: [geral@teatromunicipaldefaro.pt](mailto:geral@teatromunicipaldefaro.pt) | Phone: 289 870 077 
  • Website: [https://www.teatrodasfiguras.pt](https://www.teatrodasfiguras.pt) 
  • Online tickets: [https://teatrodasfiguras.bol.pt/](https://teatrodasfiguras.bol.pt/) 
  • Artistic programming: Gil Silva


Auditório Municipal de Albufeira 

  • Address: Rua do Município - Cerro da Alagoa, 8200-863 Albufeira 
  • Email: [geral@cm-albufeira.pt](mailto:geral@cm-albufeira.pt) | Phone: 289 599 645 
  • Division Chief: Carla Ponte 


Auditório Carlos do Carmo (Lagoa) 

  • Address: Rua do Centro de Saúde, 8400-413 Lagoa 
  • Email: [cultura@cm-lagoa.pt](mailto:cultura@cm-lagoa.pt) | Phone: 282 380 452 
  • Online tickets: [https://auditoriocarlosdocarmo.bol.pt/](https://auditoriocarlosdocarmo.bol.pt/) 
  • Artistic programming: Paulo Francisco 


Centro Cultural de Lagos 

  • Address: Rua Lançarote de Freitas, 7 | 8600-605 Lagos 
  • Email: [centro.cultural@cm-lagos.pt](mailto:centro.cultural@cm-lagos.pt) | Phone: 282 770 450 
  • Online tickets: [https://centroculturaldelagos.bol.pt/](https://centroculturaldelagos.bol.pt/) 
  • Division Chief: José Viegas 
  • Artistic programming: Vera Feu 


Auditório Municipal de Olhão Maria Barroso 

  • Address: Rua Diogo de Mendonça Corte Real, 1 | 8700-232 Olhão 
  • Email: [auditorio@cm-olhao.pt](mailto:auditorio@cm-olhao.pt) | Phone: 289 700 160 
  • Website: [https://auditoriomunicipal.cm-olhao.pt/](https://auditoriomunicipal.cm-olhao.pt/) 
  • Online tickets: [https://ticketline.sapo.pt/salas/sala/658](https://ticketline.sapo.pt/salas/sala/658) 
  • Artistic programming: Vítor Lopes 


TEMPO – Teatro Municipal de Portimão 

  • Address: Largo 1.º de Dezembro, 8500-538 Portimão 
  • Email: [geral@teatromunicipaldeportimao.pt](mailto:geral@teatromunicipaldeportimao.pt) | Phone: 282 242 650 / 961 579 917 
  • Online tickets: [https://tempo.bol.pt](https://tempo.bol.pt) 
  • Artistic programming: Ana Águas 


Cineteatro Jaime Pinto (São Brás de Alportel) 

  • Address: Av. da Liberdade, 22 | 8150-101 São Brás de Alportel 
  • Email: [cine.teatro@cm-sbras.pt](mailto:cine.teatro@cm-sbras.pt) | Phone: 289 840 211 / 289 840 000 
  • Artistic programming: Sónia Silva / Patrícia Reis 


Teatro Mascarenhas Gregório (Silves) 

  • Address: Rua Cândido dos Reis, s/n | 8300-126 Silves 
  • Email: [cultura@cm-silves.pt](mailto:cultura@cm-silves.pt) | Phone: 282 440 800 
  • Online tickets: [https://cmsilves.bol.pt/](https://cmsilves.bol.pt/) 
  • Artistic programming: João Estiveira / José Guia 


Teatro Municipal António Pinheiro (Tavira) 

  • Address: Rua Dom Marcelino Franco, 22, 8800-347 Tavira 
  • Email: [tm-antoniopinheiro@cm-tavira.pt](mailto:tm-antoniopinheiro@cm-tavira.pt) | Phone: 281 320 510 
  • Artistic programming: José Barradas 


Centro Cultural António Aleixo (Vila Real de Santo António) 

  • Address: Rua Dr. Teófilo Braga, 8900-231 Vila Real de Santo António 
  • Email: [geral@cm-vrsa.pt](mailto:geral@cm-vrsa.pt) | Phone: 281 510 045 
  • Online tickets: [https://cm-vrsa.bol.pt](https://cm-vrsa.bol.pt) 
  • Artistic programming: Vítor Junqueira and André de Oliveira 


Auditório da Biblioteca Municipal de Castro Marim 

  • Address: Rua 25 de Abril, s/n | 8950-122 Castro Marim 
  • Email: [biblioteca@cm-castromarim.pt](mailto:biblioteca@cm-castromarim.pt) | Phone: 281 510 747 
  • Artistic programming: Tina Castro / João Pereira 


  • Centro Cultural de Vila do Bispo 
  • Address: Praça da Tanegashima 8650, Vila do Bispo 
  • Email: [geral@cm-viladobispo.pt](mailto:geral@cm-viladobispo.pt) | Phone: 282 630 600 
  • Artistic programming: Tânia Lucas