29th

The Setúbal International Theatre Festival – Festa do Teatro began in 1995 and emerged as a way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Teatro Estúdio Fontenova. The Festival continues to grow and expand its cultural reach. The programme includes benchmark shows from national and international companies, as well as emerging structures, projects and artists. This last point is reflected especially through the OFF - Mais Festa section, where artists present their work and receive contributions to the fundraising hat that revert exclusively to the performers.

Within the OFF - Mais Festa section, there is the option of a competition for theatre performances, and the winner joins the Official Section the following year. Along with this modality, Mais Festa also provides the ability to join the OFF - Extra-Competition section, offering more artists the possibility of giving visibility to their artistic creations.

The Festival also features workshops, live music, exhibitions, short film screenings and the usual theatre talks. In 2014, the Festival received occasional support from the Directorate-General for the Arts, and since 2018, the Teatro Estúdio Fontenova has had regular sustained support. The entity is supported by the Municipality of Setúbal. The Festival has also received occasional support from the Embassies of Spain, the Czech Republic, the Municipalities of Palmela and Sesimbra, and the Gulbenkian Foundation. We have had shows from various parts of the world. The Artistic Director of Teatro Estúdio Fontenova and Setúbal's International Theatre Festival, José Maria Dias, received the medal of honour from the city of Setúbal in 2019 in the category of Cultural Activities.