Not So Sunny Algarve

The tourist brochures list Portugal as the sunniest spot in Europe, but it seems it was the only place it rained during the second week of June, leaving Algarve Summer Festival short of the numbers Musica No Coracao had been expecting.

A bill that included Black Eyed Peas, James Blunt, Melanie C, Rui Veloso, Souls of Fire, Fat Freddy’s Drop, and Boss AC still drew 35,000 people across the June 17-18 weekend. But Musica’s Nuno Vierei said the weather hit the tourist numbers and two national holidays in the preceding week reduced the local crowd.

“I don’t know if they went away from the area or just stayed in, but it wasn’t the sort of weather that made people want to go out,” he said.

The company made a good start to the summer season with Super Bock Super Rock Festival, held in Lisbon over two weekends May 25-26 and June 7-8, and Vierei is looking forward to getting back to the capital for the outdoor Summer Sessions.

The bills for the three shows at Lisbon’s 12,000-capacity Terraplano Santos were scheduled to include Sean Paul July 3rd, Massive Attack July 8th and The Strokes and Died Pretty Things July 22nd.

Musica No Coracao’s next festival is the 10th anniversary of Sudoeste August 3-6.

The lineup for the 35,000-capacity site at Zambujeira Do Mar includes Gentleman, The Prodigy, Goldfrapp, Zero 7, Skin, Nouvelle Vague, Who Made Who, Xutos & Pontapes, and Boss AC.

– John Gammon