Promoted by the Alentejo and Ribatejo Regional Tourism Board in partnership with the Santarém City Council, the event will take place at Portas do Sol. It aims to establish itself as a “living repository of Ribatejo culture,” bringing together producers, artisans, farmers, chefs, musicians, and cultural figures.

José Manuel Santos, president of the regional tourism board, told the Lusa news agency that the festival possesses a “distinctive character” rooted in the promotion of “local products, gastronomy, and a connection to the territory.”

“It seeks to delve deeper into identifying, discovering, valuing, and showcasing Ribatejo’s traditions to the public,” he stated, arguing that the event has the potential to become a flagship brand for the region and, in the future, achieve “international reach.”

According to Santos, the initiative aligns with the strategy to boost tourism promotion in Ribatejo; he noted that Santarém currently accounts for approximately 60% of the overnight stays recorded across the 11 municipalities that make up the Lezíria do Tejo Intermunicipal Community.

“There is also an objective to eventually take this event from Santarém to other municipalities in the Ribatejo region,” he mentioned.

José Manuel Santos added that the festival will strengthen Santarém’s tourism profile—a city already associated with gastronomy through the National Gastronomy Festival and other sector-related initiatives.

“Events drive travel and tourism, and this event aligns perfectly with the tourism value proposition of Santarém and the Ribatejo region,” he maintained.

Conceived by Chef Rodrigo Castelo of the restaurant Ó Balcão in Santarém, the festival will focus on regenerative agriculture. This concept contributes “simultaneously to the quality of the gastronomic offering and the economic development of the territory.”

“In a way, regenerative agriculture is already a step beyond standard sustainability,” he stated, adding that the concept involves production methods that respect natural resources and yield higher-quality products for the restaurant and tourism sectors.

The program includes the “Gastronomy Gardens,” where national chefs and local Ribatejo associations will prepare dishes using regional products and native breeds, as well as a Producers, Artisans & Farmers Square, a “Crafts Street,” spaces dedicated to regenerative agriculture, and debates on sustainability, climate change, and agricultural innovation.

The festival will also feature concerts, equestrian demonstrations, activities linked to bullfighting traditions, a procession and horseback pilgrimage featuring the image of Our Lady of Mercy (Nossa Senhora da Piedade), and the 2nd “Raízes Vivas” Charity Bullfight.

For the head of the regional tourism board, the goal is to establish the event as a national benchmark for gastronomy.

“The medium-term objective is to establish it as a major national gastronomy event” and, eventually, to turn it into “a major event for the international promotion of the Ribatejo region,” he said.

The first edition of “Raízes Vivas” took place in 2025 in the Avieira village of Caneiras; this year, the event was moved to Santarém’s historic centre due to the initiative’s growth.