José Carlos Rolo gives a "very positive assessment" of the debut of the Baltim Festival in Albufeira

The first edition of the Baltum Festival was created to "Celebrate and (Re)Discover Albufeira." This was the theme for four days of intense programming, with activities spread across 19 venues in the old town.

On the first night (24), the highlight was the performance of fado singer Gisela João, who played to a full audience at Praça dos Pescadores. Before that, the Galician duo Caamaño&Ameixeiras performed in front of the Church of São Sebastião, on the Electrofolk Stage.

The highlight of the following night (25) was the performance of the Army Light Orchestra, accompanied by Katia Guerreiro. The unprecedented show took place at Praça dos Pescadores, and included passages through notable themes from the fado singer's career.

As night fell, the Electrofolk stage hosted a concert by Ukrainian composer Ganna.

On Saturday (26), it was Tito Paris' turn to take the stage. The Cape Verdean artist played a selection of his best-known songs, in a concert that followed the performance of Portuguese DJs and producers Beatbombers, on the Electrofolk Stage.

Closing the Baltum Festival on the 27th, the French band Les Fo'Plafonds played to a packed house at Praça dos Pescadores. The group performed for the first time in Portugal and entertained the audience with their improvised musical instruments made from everyday objects. Emmy Curl, from Trás-os-Montes, closed the Electrofolk Stage program.

The event's official opening took place at the Old Parish Church, right at the beginning of the first day of the event. It was there that José Carlos Rolo, Mayor of Albufeira , explained that the event aimed to "celebrate the municipality's identity and commemorate an important part of its history."

The mayor also highlighted the importance of the event for the city, and gave as an example the location where he was speaking, which was "purposefully restored to host various activities."

At the end of the four days of programming, the CEO expressed his satisfaction with the way the 1st edition of the event went.

The mayor gave a "frankly positive" assessment, and has already focused his attention on the next edition.

The program for the first edition of the Baltum Festival also featured the participation of several local artists. Street art collectives also graced the city streets, performing in various venues.