Edifício Transparente demolition sparks architectural debate, FC Porto exit Europa League, MetroBus hydrogen BRT goes commercial, Dias da Dança hits 10th anniversary, and Babell literary festival confirms Rushdie and Atwood.
Foreign drivers entering Portugal more than doubled over Easter, with Spanish visitors surging 42 per cent. Short-term rental bookings tripled, spending rose 5 per cent, and the tourism sector is on track for 34 million guests and EUR 7 billion in revenue for 2026.
Porto's hydrogen-powered MetroBus begins paid service on 20 April after a 51-day free trial that averaged 6,000 daily passengers and scored 8.7/10 satisfaction. The EUR 76 million BRT system runs on a dedicated lane along Avenida da Boavista.
From 1 June 2026, Portugal enforces a unified Construction Code that replaces over 100 scattered laws. Tacit approval, digital submissions, and a shift from prior to execution-phase control are the headline changes.
Portugal's Air Force will deploy its new fleet of six UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters for firefighting this summer — the first operational season for the Panteras squadron based at Ovar.
Next Friday, 25 April, is the Dia da Liberdade — Freedom Day — marking 52 years since the Carnation Revolution toppled Portugal's authoritarian Estado Novo regime in 1974. It is a national public holiday, and cities across the country are staging...
