European festivals Association

Festival dos Canais (eng. Festival of the Canals) is an artistic experience through the Ria de Aveiro canals. As a large-scale, multidisciplinary festival it embraces the city of Aveiro annually in July. Numerous performances in different art disciplines from music, theatre, dance, new circus to visual arts turn the city into a unique cultural event. It invites artists and the public to discover and explore the city's spaces by giving them other perspectives and experiences: the streets, squares and gardens are transformed into stages and the city gains new interpretations and meanings. The festival's capacity of attracting public attention, its artistic level and geographical amplitude, diversity of actions and continuous intention to generate dynamic between local and international dimensions, has built its recognition in diverse audiences. The Festival dos Canais always had a special place for local creation thus it increasingly has become a stage for the culture of Aveiro. 

The Festival dos Canais received the EFFE Label in 2019 (Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe), a European quality label awarded to leading Festivals recognised for their work in the arts, community involvement and international openness.