Since last September, the National Theatre of S. Carlos (TNSC) has taken its program to 17 locations, including Lisbon, where it has performed on 12 stages.
The TNSC has been presenting its schedule outside its historic building in Chiado, Lisbon, which is undergoing restoration and recovery work set to continue until the second half of 2026.
The opera program, which attracted 5,026 spectators, was showcased on seven stages: the National Theatre of S. João (1,093 spectators) and the Coliseum of Porto (1,100), Teatro das Figuras (591) in Faro, Vila Real Municipal Theatre (497), Caldas da Rainha Cultural and Congress Centre (590), and Centro Cultural de Belém (1,545) in Lisbon.
Regarding the symphonic program, “between September and April, across a total of 34 concerts in Penafiel, Caldas da Rainha, Alter do Chão, Évora, and greater Lisbon, [it reached] about 8,000 spectators,” stated a TNSC source.
The conservation, restoration, rehabilitation, and modernization project for the theatre has a total budget of 32.7 million euros.
Under the theme ‘São Carlos on the move,’ the TNSC has been presenting its program across various venues in the country.
The Artistic Committee Coordinator, responsible for the programming, maestro João Paulo Santos, remarked last November that the challenge of presenting opera and symphonic programs ‘outside the doors’ is like “sowing” to cultivate new audiences.
The TNSC is the only opera house in Portugal and has a national vocation, emphasized the maestro and pianist.
João Paulo Santos expressed his desire for “going out” of Lisbon to “make sense” since what they are “producing is relevant to everyone.”
