7th “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” successfully concluded showcasing the diverse charm of the integration of the East and Western cultures in Macao

MACAU, December 29 - Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), the 7^th “Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” was successfully concluded. In order to allow residents and tourists to feel the cultural vibe of the Lusophone countries and regions and to engage in their profound cultural diversity, this year’s Festival was held in parallel with the “GEG Lusofonia Festival”, featuring over 80 sessions of programmes and outreach activities in seven series from October to December, counting with the participation of over 780 artists and performers from home and abroad. The Festival leverages Macao’s historical and cultural spaces and community venues, showcasing the vibrant tapestry of different regional cultures in world heritage buildings, community public areas, and professional theatres, thereby revealing the splendour of cultural integration between different regions and attracting over 61,000 participants until today.

Among them, the “2025 GEG Lusofonia Festival”, co-organised by IC and Galaxy Entertainment Group, was once again held at the Taipa Houses for two consecutive weekends this year, with a focus on the Angolan culture, which featured local specialties and portrait artworks, as well as captivating performances by groups from 10 Portuguese-speaking countries and regions and 40 local Portuguese-speaking arts troupes. Through a wide array of cultural booths, music and dance performances, traditional games and Portuguese cuisine, the Festival showcased Macao’s unique appeal featuring a blend of Chinese and Portuguese cultures to residents and tourists.

The well-received “GEG Traditional Music and Dance Performance in the Community” was also held for two consecutive weeks in various districts in Macao and at the Galaxy Macau™ Integrated Resort, featuring 14 sessions of lively performances by the School of Music of the Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University and eight art troupes from the Portuguese-speaking countries and regions, namely Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, East Timor, Brazil, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea, and Goa, Daman and Diu, extending the artistic atmosphere to every corner of the city.

Themed “The Fairy Tale World”, the Chinese and Portuguese Picture Book Fair showcased and sold more than 800 books at the Carmo Hall for 10 consecutive days. Featuring book promotion sessions, hand puppet performances, hand and face painting experiences and numerous interactive workshops, the Book Fair gave the public a deeper understanding of publications from China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, promoting the Sino-Portuguese cultural exchange, and encouraging family reading. Registration for the workshops of the Book Fair was open through the Macao One Account, promoting arts education and community participation, and continuously contributing to the development of Macao as a “City of Reading”.

Organised by IC with the Galaxy Entertainment Group as a partner in its opening, the 7^th China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival, themed “Transcending Boundaries”, presented nearly 30 selected films from East Asia and the Portuguese-speaking regions, telling cultural stories from various places through five sections, and offering film enthusiasts a cross-cultural and cross-regional cinematic feast. The Film Festival featured an opening screening, a community screening, post-screening seminars and workshops at the Galaxy Cinemas at the Galaxy Macau™ Integrated Resort, the Cinematheque・Passion and the Dr. Carlos d' Assumpção Park, attracting the participation of residents and tourists of all ages, and contributing to the promotion of cultural dialogue and cinematic aesthetic exchange between East Asia and Portuguese-speaking regions.

This edition of the Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries specially featured the “Vanessa da Mata Concert with the Macao Chinese Orchestra”. Under the baton of the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Macao Chinese Orchestra, Zhang Lie, the Orchestra performed several Vanessa da Mata’s songs meticulously rearranged for Chinese musical instruments, skilfully blending the Eastern music with the vibrant rhythms of Brazil, and showcasing the unique charm of the fusion of Chinese and Brazilian music. The concert was widely acclaimed by the public.

The “Spiritual Narrative - 2025 Annual Arts Exhibition between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” is held at the Exhibitions Gallery and Nostalgic House of Taipa Houses, featuring 28 pieces/sets of contemporary artworks by artists from Mainland China, Macao and the Portuguese-speaking countries, including paintings, sculptures, videos, and installations, offering the audience a visual feast and guiding them to embark a journey of self-reflection and spiritual exploration. The exhibition is held until 1 March 2026. Members of the public and tourists are welcome to experience the unique dialogue between Chinese and Portuguese culture and art.

In addition, the “Chinese and Portuguese Tasting Workshop” featured three sessions of hand-brewing coffee workshops and three sessions of chocolate sculpture workshop for families, in which professional instructors led participants to experience the fusion of Chinese and Portuguese culture in coffee and cocoa art, and appreciate the aesthetics of Chinese and Portuguese lifestyles in every sip. The activities were well-received, further enhancing the public’s participation in the Festival.

The 7^th “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” received extensive coverage from numerous media outlets in Macao and the Greater Bay Area, allowing residents and tourists to experience the unique characters of Macao as a city of Sino-Portuguese cultural and artistic encounter. IC also introduced the highlights of the Festival through various channels, such as live streams of Greater Bay Area media outlets, the WeChat official account and Xiaohongshu, in order to further enhance the visibility and popularity of this Festival in the Greater Bay Area, provide audiences in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and other regions in Mainland China with an opportunity to learn about and participate in Macao’s cultural and artistic activities, and foster emotional ties among people in the region.

As a cultural and artistic link between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, Macao further builds a platform for their cultural exchanges and cooperation, demonstrating Macao’s positioning as “a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist”, contributing to the development of Macao as a “Cultural Exchange Centre between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”. The 7^th “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” is under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, and is supported by the Macao Government Tourism Office, the Municipal Affairs Bureau, the TDM-Teledifusão de Macau, S.A., and the Air Macau Company Limited.

For more information about the activities, please visit the Festival’s official webpage at www.icm.gov.mo/FCP, the “IC Art” page on Facebook, or the WeChat official account “IC_Art_Macao”.