Phoenix 24
Books and music meet before thousands of festivalgoers.
LISBON, PORTUGAL — July 2026. NOS Alive has introduced a Literary Stage during its 18th edition, expanding one of Portugal’s largest music festivals beyond concerts. The new space at the Passeio Marítimo de Algés is dedicated to books, writing and the social power of storytelling. The festival runs from July 9 to 11 and can receive up to 55,000 people each day.
Portuguese author Valter Hugo Mãe opened the program alongside writer and broadcaster Ana Markl. He argued that books should be taken directly to the places where people already gather, without restricting literature to conventional cultural venues. The writer described reading as a humanizing activity capable of preserving hope and strengthening society.
During the conversation, Mãe also warned about the influence of artificial intelligence on writing, music and human creativity. He acknowledged that new technologies can offer powerful solutions, but questioned whether convenience might gradually replace essential elements of human expression. For him, literature gains meaning through the relationship established between the person who writes and the person who reads.
The program also includes Pedro Chagas Freitas, Afonso Cruz, Luísa Sobral, Ana Bárbara Pedrosa and Hugo van der Ding, among other Portuguese cultural figures. Visitors can purchase books, attend discussions and meet participating authors during signing sessions. A partnership with FNAC and Portugal’s postal service allows purchases to be delivered to readers’ homes without additional shipping costs.
NOS Alive has increasingly diversified its cultural program through spaces devoted to fado, comedy and now literature. The strong public response suggests that audiences attending major music events are also receptive to other forms of artistic engagement.
Among amplifiers and crowded stages, books have found an audience of their own.