News Porto.

Customers still have till the 23rd December to accept the challenge “Natal no Bolhão 2020” by the Mercado Temporário do Bolhão (MTB), ongoing on social media, and take the prize: a charming kit of Xmas goodies that includes lunch boxes, kitchen ware, shopping bags or recycling bins.

Circa 400 photovoltaic panels and over 3.300 LED bulbs have been installed at the FLUP’s building, making it now 88% more efficient than the benchmark, as it is rated as B level, since October last. In addition, more than 250 windows have been replaced, as well. This is an unprecedented initiative that provided FLUP’s building with the best energetic performance.

Porto City Hall decided to suspend, temporarily, the project regarding the city’s pedestrian areas, due to the mandatory curfew issued by the Government, which is in place on weekends as of 1pm.The municipal decision is in place until December ends and it was taken under the current constraints owing to the pandemic, to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in the community.

Take time, Sunday morning, and the days still left to Christmas and stroll around downtown Porto, where local shops and traditional trade offer the thing you are looking for, with added bonus – the registered stores offer a direct discount of 2 euros per each 20-euros buy. Shops have a label indicating that they have adhered to this municipal initiative. And the unique presents you will gift are wrapped in a charming customised recycled Porto. shopping bag.

The exhibition catalogue of the “Cultures and Geographies. Centenary of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Porto” display, organised by the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto was acknowledged “Best of the year”, by the Portuguese Association of Museology. This weekend, take time to see the exhibition at the MHNC-UP, at the Jardim da Cordoaria, from 10am till 1pm.

The next two Saturdays, the Porta Jazz Association brings the two last outdoors concerts of 2020. The stage is the "Quintal Porta-Jazz", something like "Porta-Jazz backyard"; on 19th December, the WIZ trio, with the Portuguese José Pedro Coelho, on the saxophone, the French Wilfred Wilde on the electric guitar and the Spanish Iago Fernandez, on the drums, take to the stage at 11am.

The 8th edition of the “O Dia Mais Curto" [aka, “The shortest Day”, free translation] features the Curtas Festival at the Biodiversity Gallery, at the Planetarium of Porto and at the Casa Comum of the Rectory of the University of Porto, on 21st December. Goodbye autumn. Hello winter.

Talent, competence, good infrastructure, life quality and a favourable macroeconomic scenario are some of the most relevant drivers for foreign investment in Porto. An while Porto is constantly and steadily developing and strengthening its markets, this is poised to create jobs and increase employment, in a city that is viewed as a pool of exceptional resources of specialized knowledge, ability and talent, as, for example, recently stated by Euronext’s CEO.

Most people probably think that in order to join a band, one must throw away textbooks and devote totally to music. Nothing could be farther from the truth! The band from Porto and from FCUP and FEUP show just that: while studying for exams, the band just released the EP ‘Relatively Speaking’, which is available as of 7th December, on Spotify and on YouTube. Their CD is also available and it is a unique Xmas gift for music lovers.

The Christmas Holiday Camp is back between 21 and 23 December with lots of physical activity for the younger ones. The Sports Centre of the University of Porto (CDUP-UP) will organize another edition of the Christmas Holiday Camps, targeted at children aged between 6 and 14 years.