For five days, the Promenade dos Reis Magos, in Caniço, will become a meeting place for books, authors and readers as it hosts the 5th Santa Cruz Book Fair, taking place from 22 to 26 April. Organised by Santa Cruz Municipality, the event returns under the theme “The Most Beautiful Invention in the World” and offers a diverse programme combining literature, theatre, music, cinema, workshops and street entertainment.
Among the headline attractions are singer-songwriter Luísa Sobral and bestselling author Raul Minh’alma. Luísa Sobral will present her novel “Nem todas as árvores morrem de pé” and will also give one of the fair’s featured concerts, adding a strong musical highlight to this year’s edition. Raul Minh’alma is scheduled to appear on Saturday, 25 April, for a conversation with the audience. Alongside these guests, the fair will also showcase regional authors including Lisandra Tavares, Valentina Silva Ferreira, Andreia Baptista, João Gonçalves, Ana Mafalda Alves and Sara Santos.
The first three days will place special emphasis on schools, with around 300 children expected at the venue each day under a model supported by municipal transport.
Music will play a prominent role throughout the programme. In addition to Luísa Sobral’s concert, the fair will feature the “Revolução de Abril” concert by Live Brisk Band on 25 April, bringing a celebratory tone to the programme around Portugal’s Freedom Day commemorations. The event will also include the return of cinema, with a screening of Pedro Magano’s “As Aves”, while the evening of 24 April will feature a fireworks display at 10 p.m., ahead of the celebrations of the Carnation Revolution. The fair will close with excerpts from “O Chapeleiro e o Tempo”, performed by The Studio.
Alongside its artistic programme, the initiative will also include eight stands and the participation of the Municipal Libraries.
