Christmas season in Madeira is only over after Santo Amaro's day, on the 15th January. On Santo Amaro's day is the day of "Varrer dos armários" (the cleaning of the shelves) which is a tradition in several parishes of Madeira. People visit friends and family with a broom and the hosts have a table full of the traditional delicacies of Christmas. So the visitants eat and drink and when leaving the house they leave a broom with the date and year carved on it.

So, until middle January there is still the opportunity to admire the Christmas scenes built all around the island and which will only be dismantled after Santo Amaro's day. A suggestion we leave here this year is to visit the Nuns Valley and its mega Christmas scene built by the Associação Refúgio da Freira.





On this amazing Christmas crib it is represented many of the Madeira traditions and customs. This walkable artwork is visitable everyday until the 22nd of January 2012, from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

For the 6th consecutive year Funchal is holding an International Film Festival in Baltazar Dias Theatre, from the 12th to the 19th of November 2011 and this time it will make a tribute to two important men in the universe of cinema: Terry Jones, a British known by his innovations in the comedy world and Roberto Farias, a Brazilian with many feature films produced and directed.

The Programme of the 6th Funchal International Film Festival is divided into the Films competition with several categories and with some special screennings:

Competitive Programme:

• International Competition for Feature Films
• International Competition for Short Films
• Premiere Madeira - competitive section for films produced in Madeira Island
• Naval Video Sub - special section for sea movies

Special Screennings:

• Opening Film
• International Year Comemorations
• Special Retrospective for the Faria's Family
• AnimArte - special programme for the young audience
• Homage
• Closing Ceremony

The schedules and titles of each film will be disclosed soon and you will easily get it in Baltazar Dias Theatre, downtown Funchal or at your hotel.

From the 21st to the 23rd of July 2011 the Municipal Garden at Funchal is the stage for the "Raízes do Atlantico" (Atlantic Roots) Festival. Its first edition dates from 1994 and is now known as the oldest festival of world music in Portugal.

The Festival has created a connection between traditional music from Madeira, Portugal and World Music. This year's program holds different styles of music from Madeira, Azores, mainland Portugal, Italy and Guinea:

Thursday, the 21st of July 2011 at Jardim Municipal do Funchal

21h30 - Galandum Galundaina - A group from Miranda do Douro who combine their traditional melody with a modern sound by playing folk instruments like the Mirandese bagpipes or the castanets.

22h45 - Gattamolesta - This Italian group with a music style sometimes bizarre, privile the contact with the public and make the everyday street stories their own music.

Friday, the 22nd of July 2011 at Jardim Municipal do Funchal

21h30 - Projecto Griotizando - Angelo Torres and José Galissá aim to recreate the important character of social life and African culture: the Griot. To listen and travel through the word is what is proposed by this African duo who will tell a story by the rhythm of the Kora instrument.

22h45 - Gaitúlia - From the east tip of Madeira comes the Gaitúlia group which were created in 2007 in Machico. They ally the bagpipe to other percussion instruments. This will be their second performance on the Raízes do Atlantico Festival

Saturday, the 23rd of July 2011 at Jardim Municipal do Funchal

21h30 - O Experimentar nã m’incomoda - The challenge of this group is to reinvent the Azores' traditional music with a more cosmopolitan sound. This Azorean group plays their regional folklore through the dub, an
Animal Collective style.

22h45 - Banda d’Além - This group is already a reference in the traditional music of Madeira. On this festival the band will present their new album that, despite many news, will feature the usual sound of the
strings and percussion instruments and flutes.

The Funchal Jazz Festival has evolved gradually and it is now a major magnet for the so-called cultural tourism and a landmark event in the cultural life of Funchal city.

This 12th edition of Funchal Jazz Festival proves that we can always improve and do better when working with aim of excellence. All the musicians that make up the poster of this festival are unique jazz and blues talented personalities.

On Thursday, July 7th, John Scofield Quartet will be on stage led by one of the greatest jazz guitarists of our time, master of improvisation and composer of great stylistic diversity - John Scofield. This first day of Funchal Jazz Festival will close with the original sound of the Danilo Perez Trio, the pianist and composer of Panamanian origin who has carved a solid reputation in the international jazz scene as a musician but also as a teacher.

Friday's programme, July 8th, brings us two examples of great musical complicity. In the first part of the night we will have Branford Marsalis and Joey Calderazzo who had a long way together, as the pianist Calderazzo was part of Marsalis Quartet for more than ten years. Branford Marsalis, saxophonist known for his innovative spirit, will also act with his quartet.



Branford Marsalis


On the second part of Friday's night the City of Funchal and Funchal Jazz Festival organization will make tribute to a very special Portuguese musician - Rui Veloso. Currently celebrating 30 years of a career filled with awards and great successes, Rui Veloso continues to be a reference in the Portuguese music since 1980, when he released his first album. So this second concert will bring the blues back to Funchal Jazz and will star Rui Veloso with his friend Todd Sharpeville, a talented guitarist, singer and composer, member of one of the oldest aristocratic families in the UK, impresses his public by mixing pop sensibilities with the deepest feelings of blues.

To end this 12th edition of the Funchal Jazz Festival, on Saturday, July 9th, we are pleased to announce a great jazz diva. Winner of two Grammy Cassandra Wilson is a blessed singer with a unique voice, that seems to flow effortlessly and allows one to reinvent the boundaries of vocal jazz. She is an established artist in the world, but deep down still a Mississippi girl whose art reflects her deep cultural roots.



Cassandra Wilson


Alongside the concerts which take place on the main stage, framed by the lush gardens of the Parque de Santa Catarina, there will be room for the traditional Jazz / Blues / World Record Fair.

The Madeira Flower Festival is a celebration of Spring and Nature and in 2011 the theme of the Festival is "The flower I chose".



Madeira storks bill Geranium madeirensis


Since the 5th of May 2011 one could already admire flowers in downtown Funchal with the Flower Market on Avenida Arriaga and with the natural flowers' tapestries being done.

An exhibition of flowers is held on Largo da Restauração and can be visited until the 10th May 2011.

Saturday morning is time for children to fill in the Wall of Hope with flowers on Praça do Município and on Sunday afternoon the highlight of the Madeira Flower Festival happens on Funchal roads with a parade of hundreds of dancing people colored with flowers.