In Vila Nova de Famalicão you can already feel the bustle of those who are one week away from the start of the biggest Antonine Festivities ever.

The more than one thousand marchers that are already rehearsing since March for the grand parade of the Antonine Marches can say so. The moment, scheduled for the night of June 12th, is one of the high points of the Famalicão municipal festivities that this year will take place from June 7th to 13th, when thousands of people are expected on the streets.

Through the city centre, towards the Paços do Concelho, there are 8 marches. The first to parade is the march of Fraternidade Nun'Alvares, from Vale S. Cosme, one of this year's firsts. The parade continues with the march of Casa do Povo de Ruivães, LACS - Associação Cultural S. Salvador da Lagoa, União de Freguesias de Gondifelos, Cavalões e Outiz, Associação Recreativa e Cultural de Antas, Associação Cultural e Desportiva de S. Martinho de Brufe, Associação Recreativa e Cultural Flor do Monte - Carreira and Associação Cultural e Recreativa S. Pedro de Riba D'Ave.

Recently classified as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Portugal, the Famalicão Antonine Festivities promise to show once again the reason why they are considered one of the biggest festivities in the North of the country.

Opening the first day, June 7th, a comeback. Xutos & Pontapés are back to perform in Famalicão thirteen years after the last concert in the county, in 2010. The Portuguese rock band, which has celebrated live the 35th anniversary of the album "Circo de Feras", is the headliner of a programme for all tastes and ages that also features Maninho and T-Rex, among other names.

In total, there are almost forty activities spread out over seven days of intense festivities where there will be no lack of grilled sardines, farturas, manjerico, cotton candy, merry-go-rounds, dances to the sound of popular music, ethnography and folklore, children's marches, sporting moments, such as the traditional Bernardino Machado Athletics Grand Prix, and the celebrations of the patron saint, such as the mass and procession in honour of Santo António and the distribution of the so-called Santo António Bread.

The Mayor, Mário Passos, speaks of "the greatest celebration of tradition, history and identity of the famalicense municipality". And adds: "The Antonines are made for the people and by the people and therefore deserve to be lived intensely by all of us".

Complete program of this year's edition here.