The Rock & Dão festival, which debuted on 18 and 19 September, attracted visitors to Viseu who had never considered it a destination. With a strong line-up featuring acts such as Mika, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, and Delfins, along with a wide array of carefully selected regional delicacies, the festival offered new visitors a 360-degree experience of life in the region.

For the first time, the lawn at Santiago Park became a venue for high-profile events. According to the food and wine curators, Chef Luís Almeida and João Oliveira, the selection process focused on bringing together producers from different sub-regions within the Viseu Dão-Lafões region to offer the public a diverse range of products.

When asked about the star of the festival – Dão wine – winemaker and viticulturist João Oliveira explains that the main factor that sets this wine apart is the grape varieties.

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“In this region, we work with indigenous grape varieties, such as Encruzado and Alfrocheiro, which are well-suited to our terroir and are perfectly established here. Furthermore, we have excellent facilities and access to advanced technologies that enable us to get the most out of our grape varieties during winemaking, which makes it possible to deliver a unique product." he said.

Chef Luís Almeida wanted to encourage readers of The Portugal News to visit the region. “Viseu is brimming with authentic produce. We’re nestled between two mountain ranges; we have spectacular kid goat, wild mushrooms and regional nuts, resulting in an incredible gastronomic wealth,” he said.

The musical line-up was also a strong point, with Mika taking centre stage; he returned to Portugal 10 years later to perform the final concert of his two-year tour.

He brought several international fans with him to Viseu, who, it is said, travelled to most of the towns on the tour to show their support for the artist. Katie was no different, travelling with friends from England to Viseu.

Credits: TPN; Author: Iris Marçal ;

“I try my best to follow him wherever he goes, and since this is the last concert of the tour, I had to come,” she stated.

Not only did the fans sing the praises of the event and the city, but the artists also made a point of doing so. The band Cassete Pirata told The Portugal News that it’s always a pleasure to play in Viseu.

“Whenever we come to this area, it’s really special. We’re made to feel very welcome, we eat well and have a brilliant time with the audience, who are really warm. As for this festival, the organisers are all very friendly and helpful,” said lead singer João Firmino.

On the final day of the festival, the organisers announced they are already planning the next edition and revealed that the line-up will include the Portuguese band, Capitão Fausto.

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