Madeira is alight with the spirit of the holidays. Holiday lights line the streets, a Christmas market is bustling with festivity, and a fireworks spectacular returns to bring in the New Year. The program of activities begins 1 December and runs through the month, culminating in a joyous festival of songs for Three Kings Day on 7 January.
The city of Funchal plays host to much of the program, which touches on cultural, religious, ethnographic and artistic themes. Highlights include:
Switch on of Lights | 1 December
Shops and stands in-and-around the Farmer’s Market in Funchal are open for last-minute shopping. As dusk falls, a show of carols, music and folklore raises the atmosphere of celebration. See the lights in:
Praça do Povo | Funchal Pier | Praça do Colombo
Largo do Chafariz | Largo do Phelps | Rua Fernão Ornelas
Rua Câmara Pestana
Schedule:
Every day 18:00 to 01:00, except…
25 and 30 December – 18:00 to 04:00
23, 24 and 31 December – 18:00 to 06:00
Fireworks Spectacular | 31 December
Fireworks are dispersed around the city from the Funchal amphitheater and the waterfront, to the city center and, even, Porto Santo Island. This massive display earned the Madeira the honor of being named “the largest fireworks show in the world” by Guinness Book of Records in 2006.
23:40 – Pyrotechnic and audiovisual show on the Funchal pier
00:00 – Eight minutes of fireworks from no less than 59 fireworks stations, located in the Funchal amphitheater (27), between Pier 8 and Praia Almirante Reis (25), at sea (5) and Porto Santo Island
Chants of the Epiphany | 5 January
At 19:00 on the 5th, pm, Epiphany Hymns are sung at Praça do Povo, in a concert open to the public which revives this Madeiran tradition. The performance celebrates the arrival of the Three Kings on 6 January.
See and download the entire Madeira Christmas 2024 program guide. For more information, visit the Fim do Ano Madeira website.
