The inauguration of the Christmas lights in Lisbon is always one of the highlights of the Christmas season in the city, with everyone waiting to find out on which day many of the capital’s main arteries will be lit up, especially the giant tree installed in Praça do Comércio.
This year, we went to this square again and were impressed by the crowds: never in any of the previous years’ editions had we seen such a huge turnout for this incredible Christmas event.
With the presence of singer Áurea, who sang some Christmas songs after the inauguration, thousands of people witnessed one of the most beautiful moments of this season, the lighting of the giant and beautiful 30-meter Christmas tree in Terreiro do Paço, which will remain here until January 6th.
Tradition continues… and the festive program
The Christmas lights in Lisbon are a tradition that is here to stay, with Lisbon’s streets, avenues and squares showing off their brilliance for over a month.
This year’s main attraction was the concert by the artist Áurea, who enchanted everyone in Praça do Comércio with several songs from Christmas movies.
It was also possible to see an incredible spectacle of lights, lasers and music. But better than explaining it in words, you can see it for yourself in this video from the Lisbon City Council.
Last year was incredible and this year
This year you can once again expect Lisbon to be filled with light, using around 2 million low-energy bulbs with LED technology, which is 85% less than incandescent technology.
In addition to the more than 1,000 light structures installed in around 45 locations, including squares, streets and avenues, this year Lisbon has more than 5,700 Christmas pieces and props, including the Rua Augusta pedestrian zone and Praça Luís de Camões.
Free parking and buses
As was the case last year, Lisbon City Council, EMEL and Carris are once again offering a campaign that allows you to leave your car in one of EMEL’s four car parks and then take a free bus to downtown Lisbon to see the Christmas lights.