Madrid Fado Festival 2026

On 4 and 5 June, Madrid will be steeped for two nights in the sound of fado, a genre in which Lisbon expresses itself through music. The 16th Fado Festival will unite the stages of Teatro Real and Filmoteca Española – Cine Doré, turning them into a space of Portuguese intonation and memory.

The programme features Sara Correia, Beatriz Felício and António Zambujo, three artists from different generations who work with tradition in different ways, preserving their recognisable voice while also expanding the limits of the genre.

Fado emerged from life in Lisbon’s neighbourhoods: narrow streets, port areas and evenings when stories become songs. At its essence is «saudade», a feeling of loss and attachment that is impossible to translate literally, but is easily recognised when heard.

This year’s theme, «fado and neighbourhoods», links the concerts to a complementary programme that reveals how the genre lives in the city and how the city continues to resonate in it.

António Zambujo will present a new phase of his work, related to the album Oração ao Tempo, where fado intertwines with Alentejo and Brazilian motifs. Beatriz Felício will present material from her first record, released by Museu do Fado. Sara Correia will perform a repertoire from her album Fado com Tempestade, which has consolidated her place among the genre’s key voices.

At Filmoteca Española – Cine Doré, the festival will continue with a debate on the relationship between music and the urban environment: the talk «The street and fado» and the screening of the documentary Do Bairro will focus attention on Lisbon, where music and daily life flow at the same pace.