2nd Trafaria Bluegrass Festival in Portugal, 8-10 Sept. 2023

Thanks to Andre Lentilhas, organiser of the successful Trafaria Bluegrass festival in 2022, for news of this year's event:

After last year's success, we returned to the 2nd edition of the TRAFARIA BLUEGRASS - Festival by the River, in Trafaria, Portugal. This festival, the only one of its kind to be held in Portugal, aims to develop bluegrass music.

It will take place between September 8 and 10, 2023, in the streets of Trafaria, Almada, and is completely FREE. Throughout these three days, in addition to the concerts on various stages, there will be a set of activities in parallel such as masterclasses, music workshops given by the invited artists (open to all interested parties with the aim of exchanging knowledge, in a more private environment with the possibility of meeting and playing with them), spontaneous musical jam sessions between with local musicians and guest artists, workshops, tours, guided tours of Trafaria, street animations, and local gastronomy.

As the schedule (above right) shows, the lineup includes Chris Luquette's East Coast Bluegrass Band (USA), the Milkeaters (CZ), the Long John Brothers (CH), Mad Meadows (D), Long Way Home (USA/NL), and Portugal's own Stonebones & Bad Spaghetti + Chris Smith. Long Way Home will be familiar to Irish fans from the active part they played on the scene here during the pandemic years, when they were based in Cork.

Andre points out that support is still needed to cover the festival budget, and a GoFundMe campaign has been set up for those who wish to donate.

© Richard Hawkins