Dear friends!

The present edition of the Serra da Estrela International Song Festival – the seventh – brings the largest number of visitors to Seia compared to previous editions.

Between participants (competitors and jury members) and companions (teachers, family, friends), Seia is a destination that the regular “customers” of festivals in Europe (and not just Europe…) can no longer dispense.

This fact – combined with the regularity with which FICSE takes place (an annual periodicity that only the pandemic interrupted) – reveals that the Festival has established itself not only in the fabric of the region, but also shows the prestige (forgive the immodesty) that the Festival has already reached among its international equivalents.

This year we welcome seven countries that are “debuting” in our event: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, Latvia, Belarus, Colombia, and, at last but not the least, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau, the first Portuguese-speaking African countries to visit our Festival.

A delegation from the island of Sal and another from Bissau unequivocally enlarge the dimension of this event, making it part of the “world music” route, without abandoning the previous musical characteristics.

As always, we leave here the due recognition to the Municipality of Seia, the Union of the Parishes of Seia, São Romão and Lapa dos Dinheiros and Turismo do Centro de Portugal, for the support they give to this initiative – an initiative that also aims to reduce culturally the so-called interiority costs. We also express our recognition to the private sector entities for the contribute they give in order to keep this Festival stand up.

During five days, Seia crosses cultures, habits and traditions that, under the cover of a Festival in which competition is the least important vector, provide to the city a dynamic that, we are sure, will be reflected beyond that short period.

Nuno Figueira

Director of the Festival 

For the 7th consecutive year, Seia will host, once again, the International Song Festival Serra da Estrela, providing its participants with the possibility of showing all their talent and musical skills.

During these days, Seia is the stage that opens doors and inspires, especially for the youngest, the dream of an eventual musical future. And we are pleased to see, year after year, a growing participation of young people from our region.

As I have mentioned before, FICSE represents an opportunity for cultural exchange, personal enrichment and the exchange of experiences and musical interpretation techniques, provided by the contact among participants of different nationalities.

From another perspective, FICSE is an important tool for promoting our region, driving economic activity, through the people it attracts to the city – participants, their companions and their families.

It's, no doubt, a Festival that, through the music, approaches people, promotes sharing and meeting. So, I invite the whole community to participate, in the certainty that these artists will once again provide the public with excellent moments.

The Mayor of Seia 

Luciano Ribeiro