Guimaranes is an example. A beacon of sustainability.
At the Opening Conference of the Green Week, integrated into the schedule of Guimarães 26 – European Green Capital, in a session moderated by presenter Sonia Araújo, the Secretary of State for the Environment, João Manuel Esteves, highlighted Guimarăes as a national and European reference in building a more sustainable future.
Ricardo Araújo, President of the Guimarães Municipal Chamber, stressed that “the true legacy of European Green Capital will be built by the people”, highlighting community involvement, sustainable mobility and work developed based on scientific evidence.
Already Andreas Ringle, vice president of Heilbronn, praised Guimarães’ collaborative governance model and the city’s ability to show that economic development and environmental sustainability can go hand in hand.
Green Week continues until Sunday, with dozens of activities for all ages.
The second day of Green Week Guimarães was marked by thousands of visitors, moments of reflection, a lot of excitement and experiences that brought together sustainability, culture and community.
From the Opening Conference to the Green Pulse multimedia show, through artistic performances, activities for all ages and the concert of João Pedro Pais, Alameda de São Dâmaso has once again established itself as the heart of the European Green Capital 2026.
Green Week continues to show that sustainability is also lived through culture, participation and collective celebration.
Wind Green, Slow Green
More than a performance, “Verde Vento, Verde Lento” was the result of an artistic and human process developed over the course of three months with participants from CERCIGUI – CACI and the CACI/Rose Residential Home of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Guimarães.
With artistic guidance from Rosana Pereira, this proposal crosses dance, organic movement, and sensory awareness, promoting inclusive artistic experiences for people with disabilities or disabilities. Inspired by the rhythms of nature, wind, sounds and relationship with the environment, participants explored new ways of feeling, creating and communicating through the body.
The result was an exciting collective performance that celebrated inclusion, creativity, and connection to nature, demonstrating how art can be a powerful tool for social participation and transformation.
An initiative approved by the Community Commission of Guimarães 26 – European Green Capital.
In front of an enthusiastic crowd, the athletes displayed their full potential in a spectacle that combined sport, art, and dedication, enriching the cultural program of the event.
Thinking, Education, Citizenship and… One Health?
Green Week hosted the Alumni UMinho Conference, a moment of reflection and sharing around the challenges of education, citizenship and global health in an increasingly interconnected world.
With speeches by José Gomes Mendes, Alexandre Quintanilha and Ana João Rodrigues, the session challenged participants to think about the role of each citizen in building a more sustainable, conscious and healthy future for all.
An inspiring conversation about critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collective responsibility, showing that big transformations often begin with small, everyday decisions.
Learning can be fun.
Exposure Bingo challenged participants to explore the different content featured at Green Week in an interactive and engaging way, promoting discovery, curiosity, and awareness of environmental issues.
The opening show of Green Week 2026 – Green Pulse, was an immersive experience that united nature, technology, light, sound and emotion.
It all started with a single pulse and a small dot of green light that came to life in the centre of the enclosure. Over several minutes, the audience was taken on a sensory journey where illuminated trees, visual projections, cinematic music, electric guitar and light effects transformed Alameda de São Dâmaso into an authentic digital forest.
In a spectacle designed to symbolize the birth of new sustainable energy, the city breathed together, in a contemporary celebration that surprised thousands of people and officially marked the opening of Green Week Guimarães 2026.
A unique moment that will remain in the memory of all who lived it.
João Pedro Pais took the stage at Green Week for an unforgettable night.
With themes that span generations and continue to mark the landscape of Portuguese music, the artist took thousands of people to Alameda de São Dâmaso, in a concert full of emotion, closeness and good music.
The night continued to the rhythm of Green Week.
At Coreto, DJ NFerrer kept the energy high, providing a relaxed and festive atmosphere that brought together visitors of all ages to celebrate sustainability in a different way.
Because a greener city also meets, shares and moments to remember.
The magic of stories also took place at the Green Week Guimarães.
Promoted by the Raul Brandão Municipal Library, Story Time invited the youngest to embark on a journey of imagination, discovery and awareness of the values of sustainability and respect for nature.
A moment of sharing, learning, and charm, where books have shown, once again, their power to inspire new generations towards a more conscious and sustainable future.
Green Week continues until Sunday, with dozens of activities for all ages.
