Quinta do Murtal, in Mealhada, is preparing for two nights of celebration and youth

The final preparations are being finalized at Quinta do Murtal, in the city of Mealhada, for the 231 Fest, the Youth Festival, which takes place tonight and tomorrow and which already has around three thousand tickets sold for both days, coming from almost every district in the country, as well as from the islands too. In the show area, the Giant Tent ensures that, should the rain occur, people can be sheltered. This year’s edition makes it possible to purchase a glass for one euro, which can be exchanged overnight and, upon delivery, at the end, the amount will be refunded. The event has a budget of around 75 thousand euros.

The poster has been publicized for a long time and features national artists, but also from the municipality of Mealhada and neighboring areas. So, today, Friday, May 3rd, the doors open at 8pm, with Andy Scotch doing the opening honors at 10pm, followed by disc jockey Shannon Booth, musician Bispo, DJ Sara Santini and DJs Braulio & DJ João Maçãs and Luís Ferro and closing the first night. Tomorrow, Saturday, the night starts with Vaskiiito / BULY35 / Shad, followed by DJ Rupture (Zumba Yeniffer Campos and Elite Crew DWH), musician Van Zee, The MAZ3R Effect, ending the party with DJs from Mealhadenses Gonçalo Vaz & Miguel Malaguerra.

«We are in the operations center, in the final phase of assembling a series of equipment and are very excited about this festival. Rain, if it occurs, will not be an excuse because we have a giant tent on the premises so that the party can continue normally”, declared, early yesterday afternoon, Hugo Silva, councilor in the Mealhada Chamber with the Youth department, adding that the number of advance ticket sales, through the ticketline – five euros one day or seven for both -, was close, until yesterday, to previous editions, with 1,100 on the first night and 1,500 on the second. «There are only four districts in which we still do not sell tickets – Castelo Branco, Portalegre, Viana do Castelo and Évora -, in all the others we sell tickets, including in the autonomous regions, which surprised us a lot», he congratulated.

Despite this, the organization is aware that the bulk of demand is at the box office on the day of the shows. «Young people and families will be very welcome at the event. The essential thing is for parents to understand that their children are safe here, in a good place like Quinta do Murtal», emphasizes the mayor, who emphasizes that the event is run by the GNR, Volunteer Firefighters and Red Cross forces.

There will be no plastic in the venue and, therefore, the cups will once again be reusable. «The purchase of a glass for one euro allows, this year, for it to be exchanged throughout the night and, in the end, it can be returned and the participant also reimbursed the value», explained Hugo Silva.

Another premise of this festival is that, from the beginning – including in choosing the poster -, 231 young volunteers have been involved. «We have more than 35 volunteers who helped us with programming and improving the event. Furthermore, in 2024, we will have specific lighting made by EPVL students and some young people carrying out social experiments with fun games», the councilor added.

As in previous years, there will be free bus transport from various locations in the municipality, with timetables available on the «231 Fest» Instagram page or the Municipality of Mealhada on Facebook.

Monica Sofia Lopes