When Lisbon Feels Alive with the Sound of Music

Here’s why Lisbon’s Nos Alive festival is perfect for a musical summer escape.

Lisbon is famed for its cuisine, beaches, culture and vibrant city centre. In many ways it’s the quintessential European destination and one that is popular with international visitors.

The westernmost major city of Europe is a picturesque corner of Portugal which is one of the most desired summer escapes this year. To be honest, its high on most people’s lists every year and with moderate winter temperatures its also popular ‘out of season’. What Lisbon has to offer is a welcoming attitude from locals, a friendly atmosphere and a deep appreciation of the arts. This carries through to the annual Nos Alive festival, one of the biggest events on the music calendar. Located slightly out of the city centre, the festival site is on the coast a few miles from some of the best beaches in the world.

>>> Explore Lisbon with the our favourite city experiences in Portugal

Further along the Portuguese Riviera, but still within the confines of Greater Lisbon, Sintra is a major attraction famed for its picturesque palaces, colourful castles and remarkable microclimate. As you climb up a series of steep inclines you’ll notice the air feeling cooler and on most occasions you’ll also feel a light mist sweeping in. The stunning Pena Palace sits atop one of the peaks of the Sintra Mountains, and is constantly full of tourists. You can instantly see why as this 19th century architecture is cited as one of the best examples of Romanticism design style. Its a UNESCO World Heritage Site and worth a day trip, but prepare for long queues at peak times and a fair amount of hiking. Also pack some waterproofs even if it feels warm when leaving central Lisbon. We’re not kidding about the unique climate here!

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Back in Lisbon proper, you have the tram system that navigates through the streets of the city. Yes, they are quaint and very photogenic, but they also serve a genuine purpose. The transport system as a whole is convenient, clean and safe to use. It’s also cheap, so if you end up staying slightly away from the most popular attractions you are still only a short ride away from the heart of the action.

Having been to Lisbon before, I did want to spend some time on the beaches this time, so a hotel on the waterfront seemed like the best option. This proved to be a fantastic travel hack when I found Hotel Vila Galé – Palácio dos Arcos. Built in the late fifteenth century and rebuilt three centuries later, the boutique hotel opened in 2013. The 5-star property maintains its royal heritage featuring 76 rooms with balconies that open to the sea inviting guests to relax and enjoy the view. There’s an outdoor pool and extensive gardens you can explore but you’ll also find yourself venturing out of the lobby and onto the cobbled streets nearby that play host to local shops and restaurants. The train station is only a five minute walk from here and that can take you directly to the main city in less than 15 minutes.

If you head in the opposite direction to the station you’ll end up on Praia Velha, a small beach popular with locals who want to avoid the crowds elsewhere. You can walk a little further to the larger stretches of sand but wherever you end up there is easy access to the sea.

The reason some travellers are planning their holidays to coincide with large music events is quite simple. Lisbon, as an example, is cheaper than many other cities that host large-scale festivals and concerts. It also offers all the additional experiences highlighted above, from glorious beaches to historical sites you have to see in person.

Attending Nos Alive, you can spend the day enjoying a ‘typical’ holiday and then take in an evening of live music from some of the biggest names in pop and rock. Its easy to get here by train and cheap if you want to book a taxi too.

Most clubs in Lisbon don’t really get going until well after midnight. It’s rumoured that Lux, arguably the most famous venue in Portugal, isn’t worth visiting before 2am. Its the Iberian way, and you will be hard-pressed to find a suitable dinner reservation before 10pm too, but thankfully this festival caters to international audiences as much as it does to locals. Headliners like Dua Lipa, Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins will be done by around 1am, with trains still running well into the early hours. Of course, there are DJs, dance acts and other activities for night owls here, but if you want to call it after the main stage shutters, you won’t be alone.

The friendly atmosphere in Lisbon does actually encourage lightweights (of which I am one) to stay out a little longer. The locals like a drink and party as much as anyone else, but it never feels too rowdy. With plenty of food options on site, you can line your stomach with a wide variety of snacks and meals, and, even though the outdoor venue is large – its surprisingly quick to get from stage to stage. It was just five minutes from the intimate performance from Norwegian star Aurora to the bombastic exuberance to Dua Lipa.

The blend of genres has become a staple of Nos Alive. Pop, Rock, Dance and modern Hip-Hop all draw the crowds and it feels like everyone in attendance is genuinely interested in seeing good music. I’m not sure how many people here knew much about opening act on the first evening – Nothing But Thieves – but their energetic riffs and soaring vocals soon had the crowd enthralled within a few minutes.

If you’re looking for a ‘starter’ festival, full of crowd-pleasing acts and a holiday to a popular destination, this is the one we would go for.