The Algarve summer favourite runs from August 10 to 15, with seafood from the Ria Formosa and nightly concerts
One of the Algarve’s best-known summer food events returns this week, as the Olhão Seafood Festival takes over Jardim Pescador Olhanense from August 10 to 15 for six evenings celebrating seafood, music, and the traditions of the Ria Formosa.
Held in Olhão for more than 30 years, the festival has become a fixture of the region’s summer calendar, drawing tens of thousands of visitors with a combination of fresh seafood and Portuguese cuisine alongside nightly live concerts.
Doors open each evening at 7.30pm, with festivities continuing until 1.30am and the main concerts beginning at 11pm.
Seafood remains at the heart of the event, with visitors able to sample everything from prawns, oysters, and clams to traditional dishes such as seafood rice and cataplana, reflecting Olhão’s close relationship with the Ria Formosa and its long-standing fishing traditions.
Six nights of live music
This year’s musical programme brings together Portuguese and international artists, beginning with Matias Damásio on August 10.
Deejay Telio takes to the stage on August 11, followed by Némanus on August 12 and Calema on August 13. Fado singer Mariza headlines August 14, before Brazilian star Daniela Mercury closes the festival on August 15.
Real Marina adds original flavours to the festival
Among the gastronomic participants this year is Real Marina Hotel & Spa, which will return with its own 180-seat dining space, open from 7.30pm each evening.
Created by chefs from the Real Hotels Group, the hotel’s menu draws inspiration from Olhão and the Ria Formosa, with fish and seafood forming the basis of both traditional Algarve recipes and dishes designed for sharing.
A different €28 daily special will be served throughout the six days. The programme begins with cuttlefish and shellfish feijoada on August 10, followed by octopus, prawn, and sweet potato cataplana on August 11.
August 12 brings a croaker and Atlantic prawn pasta stew, followed by prawn and coriander açorda on August 13. Croaker and seafood cataplana will be served on August 14, before the final evening features creamy razor clam rice with prawns and lime.
The wider menu includes Ria Formosa shellfish xerém (€19), seafood rice (€36), stuffed crab with toast (€34), and a cold seafood platter for two (€65). Other options range from oysters and clams Bulhão Pato-style to tiger prawns with coriander rice and octopus salad.
Desserts include Dom Rodrigo puff pastry (€7), moist sponge cake, chocolate mousse, pineapple carpaccio with citrus, and lemon sorbet with vodka. Several dishes will also be available to take away.
Tickets
Tickets for the 2026 Olhão Seafood Festival range from €12 to €15 for adults and €6 to €7.50 for children, depending on the evening. Children under six enter free.
A six-day festival pass costs €72 for adults and €36 for children. Tickets can be purchased in advance through Ticketline or at the festival, subject to availability.
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