The Novas Invasões festival is both a point of creative confrontation and an affirmation of a European vision based on diversity. These “Novas Invasões” differ greatly from the original “invasions” that serve as their backdrop. The festival is based on celebrating the time of encounter as a festival of existence, promoting and favouring the encounter between people from different backgrounds, celebrating: A historical time on which its first impulse is based, recreating the era and spirit lived during the Peninsular Wars and the construction of the Lines of Torres Vedras; The present time – combining the plurality of ideas and world views in a playful way, encouraging passion and ecstasy for knowing oneself and others – opening up space for utopias and changes in ordinary life, through artistic expression, culture, shared thinking and social interaction. At the epicentre of the festival is a 19th-century market, which acts as a stage and backdrop, establishing a link between the contemporary and the past. At the same time, the Novas Invasões programme features shows from different artistic areas (theatre, dance, music, performance), with artists from different countries represented. The festival is aimed at the general public and, in particular, families looking for entertainment, leisure and knowledge, valuing initiatives that cross popular culture with contemporary artistic and creative expression practices.
