He has been travelling from Spain for three consecutive years to ‘enjoy’ Primavera Sound in Parque da Cidade. Two years ago, he began to ‘experience’ the three days of the festival with a visit to the replica of Mercado do Bolhão. David Chacon has no doubt that this way he ‘gets to know the city better’.
This year, the Municipality of Porto will once again be strongly represented at the 11th edition of Primavera Sound Porto, not only with the iconic market but also through the spaces of municipal companies. At ‘Bolhão’, visitors have a more interactive experience, with a passport that invites them to explore the different city projects on site.
‘We knew a bit about the city, but with this tent we got to know it even better. We tell everyone that Porto is the number one place to visit’, David Chacon confessed, moving on to hear Pulp and The National, in particular, during the three days of the festival.
Even though she’s from Porto, Ana Vaz recognises that she’s learnt ‘a few more things’ after visiting the market. The same happened with Mafalda Reis, who tried the free water. The ‘Bebe Água do Porto’ (Drink Porto Water) project, run by Águas e Energia do Porto, encourages tap water consumption by offering reusable cups. ‘It’s a very good initiative’, the young festival-goer adds, a declared fan of the American band Mitski.
At each stall located in the ‘Mercado do Bolhão’, participants can carry out interactive and themed activities devised by the municipality. Thus, at the end of the trip, upon presentation of the stickers proving their participation, they will enjoy a wine tasting and receive the Porto Kit, which includes a cap, tote bag/backpack and a Porto diary for the month of June.
‘It’s a very funny concept, this ‘Bolhão’ logic, which represents the city as a whole. It’s a Market that reflects tourism, the economy, entrepreneurship’, the Councillor for the Economy, Employment and Entrepreneurship emphasises, considering the presence of foreigners (more than half of the festival-goers) representative of ‘an important weight’ in Primavera Sound and in the city’s dynamics during these days.
‘This year, for example, we’re talking about a record attendance of Americans. More than 1,400 have travelled here’, Ricardo Valente discloses.
It’s a very funny concept, this ‘Bolhão’ logic, which represents the city as a whole”.
The councillor himself, who has been a festival-goer since the first edition in 2012 and who this year doesn’t want to miss the concerts by PJ Harvey, Amyl and the Sniffers, Lana del Rey, The National and Pulp, invites everyone to visit Mercado do Bolhão at Primavera Sound Porto. Why? ‘We bring a lot of talent logic, combined with the artists who appear on stage. We have a logic of entrepreneurship, with the city’s start-up ecosystem, looking to hold a quiz. And then, on the InvestPorto side, a lot of the concept of companies and employment and what they can offer in this area’, Ricardo Valente says.
In short, visitors can interact with TERA (Talent. Develop. Retain. Attract), Scale Up Porto and Invest Porto, under the Economy, Employment and Entrepreneurship department, as well as Visit Porto, under the Tourism and Internationalisation department.
Source: Porto.
