Public holiday in Funchal today
Today, August 21, is a public holiday in Funchal, as the city celebrates its “Dia da Cidade”. Those few visitors that are on the island may find a lot of places closed and a restricted bus service
Funchal City has more than 500 years of history, and Funchal City Day celebrates the elevation of the village to the city by Royal Charter in 1508. Funchal was the first city founded by Europeans outside Europe, and King D. Manuel I promoted his development by erecting the city hall (pictured), cathedral, and hospital. Funchal’s name dates back to the time of the island’s discovery when the hillside was covered in wild fennel.
In addition to the official ceremonies – which include a Thanksgiving Mass at the Colégio Church (also on the photo), City Day is also traditionally marked by a wide range of sports, recreational activities and cultural, which may be subdued this year, and culminates with a concert at Parque de Santa Catarina.
The City Hall of Funchal has promoted, throughout the month of August, a program of celebrations to mark the 512th anniversary of the City of Funchal, with emphasis on the great commemorative show, which takes place tomorrow, August 21, at 21:45, in Santa Catarina Park. Xarabanda and Madeira Jazz Collective were invited to perform in this concert, which will be broadcast live through RTP-Madeira.
This year due to the constraints resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and in order to safeguard the safety and well-being of all, the Municipality has prepared the space to welcome 90 spectators, and all those interested in attending the concert must make their own registration through the email teatro.municipal@cm-funchal.pt .
According to the City Hall’s website, “the usual City Day 2020 concert was conceived based on the participation of local artists, once again supporting regional production, at the crossroads of modernity and tradition”. “The unprecedented concert features an alignment of traditional songs with arrangements typical of jazz, performed by André Santos, Ricardo Dias, Manuel Andrade and Francisco Andrade”.
The celebrations started on August 11, with the inauguration of the exhibition “80 Years of the Arrival of the Gibraltinos to Madeira”, in the Atrium of the Paços of the Municipality of Funchal, recalling the passage of about 2,000 Gibraltarians in Madeira, mostly women and children, during World War II.
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You can see the stage next to the chapel in Sta Caterina park.