The Braga Brief: Week of March 20, 2026

This Week in Braga

🏛️ Ancient Roman Theatre Unearthed

The biggest story out of Braga this week is genuinely jaw-dropping. The city has excavated its ancient Roman theatre — a 2,000-year-old structure that had been buried for centuries beneath the modern city. Mayor João Rodrigues confirmed the dig took just two to three months and cost under €200,000, far less than originally feared. The theatre once seated 4,000 spectators and is reportedly larger than Málaga's Roman theatre in Spain. It still preserves some original walls and colours from its days as part of Bracara Augusta. The site will open to the public in September alongside a rehabilitated Roman ínsula (apartment block with ground-floor shops). This is a game-changer for Braga's tourism appeal.

🛴 E-Scooter Showdown at City Hall

The debate over rental e-scooters is heating up. Councillor Filipe Aguiar (CHEGA) is pushing to end the city's rental scooter contract, citing GNR data showing 45 scooter accidents in the Braga district last year alone, part of nearly 1,900 nationwide over the past seven years. He's careful to say he supports personal scooter ownership — it's the rental model he wants gone, pointing to "growing risks to public safety and urban disorder." Love them or hate them, this one's going to keep rolling through council meetings.

⚽ SC Braga vs FC Porto — Sunday Night Under the Lights

Liga Portugal matchday 27 brings FC Porto to the Estádio Municipal de Braga this Sunday at 20:30. It's always a massive atmosphere when Porto comes to town — if you haven't experienced a match at the quarry stadium, this is your chance. Expect packed bars in the city centre before and after.

✝️ Semana Santa Begins

Braga's famous Holy Week celebrations are officially kicking off. The programme runs through early April, with the Papal Nuncio, D. Andrés Carrascosa Coso, confirmed to attend — a significant honour for the archdiocese. Highlights include the iconic Procissão da Burrinha (Procession of the Little Donkey) on April 1st at 21:30 from São Victor parish, featuring the biblical procession "Vós Sereis o Meu Povo." Whether you're religious or not, Braga's Semana Santa is one of the most spectacular cultural events in Portugal. Don't miss it.

Tech & Business

Bosch Braga: 100 Patents and Counting

Mayor João Rodrigues visited the Bosch plant this week and the numbers are staggering: 3,500 employees from 21 nationalities, 25 million parts produced annually, and over 100 patents registered by local teams. The Braga facility is one of Bosch's most important sites globally for mobility technology. The mayor highlighted the company's deep collaboration with UMinho and InvestBraga, calling Bosch "a clear example of how innovation, knowledge, and cooperation with the scientific system can generate economic value."

For anyone wondering why Braga punches above its weight in tech: this is it. The Bosch-UMinho pipeline feeds engineering talent straight from campus to production floor, and the ripple effects across the local startup ecosystem are real.

University & Students

UMinho Makes History with Dual Bachelor's Degrees

The University of Minho is now the first public university in Portugal to offer dual bachelor's degrees. Starting in the 2026/27 academic year, five combined programmes will be available through the national admissions process, including Economics + Management, Management + International Business, and Economics + International Business. This is a significant innovation for Portuguese higher education — until now, dual degrees were a private-university perk.

The EEG (School of Economics, Management and Political Science) also celebrated its 44th anniversary this week with a ceremony on the Gualtar campus. Meanwhile, UMinho is expanding overall, offering 3,110 spots in the national admissions — 81 more than last year.

Expat Corner

Spring Has Arrived — Time to Get Your Paperwork in Order

With spring officially here, a few reminders for the expat community. If you arrived in Portugal in 2025 and haven't yet submitted your first IRS declaration, mark your calendar: the filing window opens April 1st and runs through June 30th. Even if you had no income in Portugal, you may still need to file if you're a tax resident.

Also worth noting: Braga's Loja do Cidadão and Finanças office tend to get busier as summer approaches. If you need to sort out NIF changes, address updates, or any SEF/AIMA-related paperwork, doing it now while things are quieter will save you hours in queues. Pro tip: many services now accept online scheduling via the ePortugal platform — use it.

Weekend Pick

🎭 Explore Braga's Roman Roots

With the buzz around the newly excavated Roman theatre, this weekend is the perfect time to explore Braga's ancient heritage. Start at the Fonte do Ídolo (Idol's Fountain), one of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the city, then walk to the archaeological site at the Domus de Santiago and the Termas Romanas do Alto da Cividade (Roman Baths). Cap it off with a coffee in the historic centre and imagine what life was like when this was Bracara Augusta. The Braga Romana festival runs May 20-26, so consider this your warm-up tour. Admission to most archaeological sites is free or just a couple of euros.

Until next Friday, Braga. Enjoy the spring sunshine. ☀️