Town councils and parish councils across Portugal are paying tens of thousands of euros to book well-known musicians for free summer festivals, with public procurement records showing some pay more than 60,000 euros for a single concert despite pressure on public budgets.
According to Portugal's government public contracting platform, Brazilian singer Daniela Mercury commands the highest fee found among this year's bookings. The municipality of Arronches paid her 65,000 euros to perform at the town's Feira de Atividades Económicas, a local economic activities fair. The council of Reguengos de Monsaraz paid a little less for a performance by the same singer, 50,000 euros.
Big fees for Portuguese and Brazilian names
In Lisbon, the Santa Maria Maior parish council paid 48,420 euros for a show by singer Pedro Abrunhosa with the band Comité Caviar. Close behind was Brazilian rapper TZ da Coronel, hired by Faro City Council for 46,500 euros.
Quim Barreiros, known as the king of Portugal's popular summer festivals, was paid 44,500 euros in 2026 by Gondomar City Council, among other municipalities that booked him. Singer Tony Carreira received 42,000 euros for performing at the Feiras Francas 2026 in Fafe, a fee close to the 42,500 euros charged by Bárbara Bandeira and Karetus for a show in Cartaxo.
Rui Veloso performed at the Festas do Almonda on July 9, which cost Torres Vedras City Council 36,390 euros. Fernando Daniel played at the Festas da Vila de Moncorvo for 27,000 euros, while Diogo Piçarra was paid 24,000 euros for an appearance at the Festas de Correios.
Other bookings on the contract list
The list of public contracts also includes 35,800 euros paid to Anjos in Vila Nova de Paiva, 32,000 euros received by Plutónio from the Festas da Batalha, and 27,000 euros paid to Lon3r Johny in Ponte da Barca. António Zambujo billed 26,000 euros for festivities honoring Santa Maria in Ourique, and Sara Correia was paid 23,000 euros in Aljustrel.
Some bookings came cheaper. Toy performed at the summer festival in Amadora for 12,500 euros, while the band Vizinhos charged around 10,000 euros. Over the course of the year, the tribute show "Para Sempre Marco" also toured several Portuguese towns, with Pinhel paying 16,700 euros to host it.
Free festivals, public cost
Summer festas are a long-standing tradition in Portugal, with municipalities and parish councils organizing free open-air festivities each year featuring live music, food stalls and local celebrations. The fees are disclosed because Portuguese law requires public bodies to publish contracts above certain thresholds on the government's public procurement platform, which is how the payments to these artists became known.
