The Braga Brief, Week of 23 October 2026: Bus Passes to Fall 25 Percent on the Road to Free Travel, Continental Plans a Famalicão Tech Centre, and Sp. Braga Change Coach

Good morning from the Minho. Braga is cutting bus fares again on the road to free travel, Continental is building a technology centre in Famalicão, and Sp. Braga changed coach and won in the same week. Here is your roundup for 17 to 23 October.

Braga bus passes to fall about 25 percent

Passes on Transportes Urbanos de Braga (TUB) will cost about 25 percent less in 2027, after a 14 percent cut this year, mayor João Rodrigues said on Tuesday. The figure is not yet final. He expects public transport in Braga to be free by the end of this term, in 2029. Socialist councillor Pedro Sousa wanted one price for the city and its outer parishes, where passengers pay more; the mayor said the cut is worth more than scrapping the outer fare zones.

Continental plans a technology centre in Famalicão

Continental will spend more than 10 million euros on a research, development and IT centre at its Lousado tyre site in Vila Nova de Famalicão, due in early 2028. It will first gather the 200-plus technology staff now spread across the site, with room for about 500.

Around the district

Póvoa de Lanhoso stays a town. Parliament rejected city status on Wednesday, with PSD, CDS and Chega against. The parish opposed it, and 85 percent voted no in its May consultation, as we reported then. The mayor says it is "only a matter of time".

Support dogs in court. The Braga judicial district has begun a trial with an animal sanctuary to bring support dogs into court to calm children giving evidence, which it calls a first in Portugal.

Two deaths. A 52-year-old worker died on Wednesday after being caught in a machine at a spinning mill in Celeirós, Braga, and a young man of about 18 died when his motorcycle and a car collided in Amares on Monday.

Sports

A 2-1 home defeat to Gil Vicente on Monday, a third loss in a row, cost Carlos Vicens his job. His successor, Franclim Carvalho, 39, a former Braga assistant under Artur Jorge, signed to the end of the season with a one-year option, and on Thursday his side beat Belgian leaders Gent 2-0 in the Conference League. President António Salvador was suspended for 23 days and fined 4,970 euros over remarks to the referee after the Gil Vicente game.

What's On in Braga

Events in and around Braga over the next 14 days, from our What's On calendar.

• Festival Semibreve: Fri 23 Oct; Theatro Circo, Braga. Semibreve returns to Braga's historic Theatro Circo. The festival is known for adventurous electronic music and digital arts, and suits curious listeners who enjoy experimental sound and audiovisual performance. Check the organiser's programme for the line-up and the full schedule of shows.
• Semibreve 2026: Nuno Canavarro & Bruno Miguel Pinto: Fri 23 Oct; Theatro Circo, Braga. A performance by Nuno Canavarro and Bruno Miguel Pinto at the historic Theatro Circo, part of Semibreve, Braga's annual festival of exploratory electronic music and digital arts. A good fit for residents curious about experimental and ambient sound in a grand theatre setting.
• Três Tempos: Sat 24 Oct; Theatro Circo, Braga. A stage production at Theatro Circo, Braga's historic theatre on Avenida da Liberdade. The organiser has published few details so far, so residents should check the venue's own listing for the programme and the language of the performance before booking.
• Semibreve 2026: PYUR & Tarik Barri: Sat 24 Oct; Theatro Circo, Braga. PYUR and Tarik Barri share a bill at Theatro Circo as part of Semibreve, Braga's annual festival of electronic music and digital art. It suits listeners curious about experimental sound and audiovisual performance, and Portuguese is not needed to enjoy it.
• Semibreve: Azu Tiwaline: Sat 24 Oct, 00:15; gnration, Braga; €10. Azu Tiwaline performs at gnration as part of Semibreve, Braga's yearly festival of electronic music and digital art. It suits residents who enjoy adventurous electronic and experimental sound, and anyone who wants to hear one of the festival's live sets in an intimate venue.
• Semibreve: dawn dani: Sat 24 Oct, 00:15; gnration, Braga; €10. A dawn dani performance at gnration as part of Semibreve, Braga's festival of adventurous electronic music and digital arts. A good pick for residents who like experimental sound and live electronics, and for anyone curious about the city's contemporary music scene.
• Neva: Sat 24 Oct, 10:30; Grande Auditório Francisca Abreu, Guimarães; €5. Neva is a performance in the Grande Auditório Francisca Abreu, the main hall of Guimarães's cultural centre. The venue has published no programme details yet, so check with it for the cast and the kind of show before booking. It will likely suit residents who follow the town's stage season.
• MAFALDA: Sat 24 Oct, 21:30; Pequeno Auditório, Guimarães; €10. MAFALDA is a live show in the Pequeno Auditório, the smaller hall of this Guimarães venue. The organiser has published few details so far, so residents who are interested should check the venue's own listing for the format and the language before booking.
• Semibreve 2026: Qasim Naqvi & Steven Wendt: Sun 25 Oct; Theatro Circo, Braga. A Semibreve festival performance at Braga's historic Theatro Circo, featuring Qasim Naqvi and Steven Wendt. This show suits residents who enjoy adventurous, exploratory live music in a grand theatre setting. You don't need to speak Portuguese to enjoy it.
• Semibreve 2026: Fennesz & Oscar Jockel: Sun 25 Oct; Theatro Circo, Braga. A double bill at Theatro Circo for the 2026 edition of Semibreve, Braga's festival of electronic and experimental music. Fennesz and Oscar Jockel share the programme. It suits residents who enjoy adventurous sound and live electronics in a historic theatre setting.

That's the Minho this week. See you next Friday.