Fête Franco-Portugaise de Pontault-Combault

Half a century of Franco-Portuguese fraternity

In 1975, a few years after the major waves of Portuguese immigration to France, a handful of Portuguese families settled in Pontault-Combault founded the Association Portugaise Culturelle et Sociale (APCS) and organized the first Franco-Portuguese festival. What began as a modest community gathering has, over fifty years, become one of the largest Lusitanian cultural events in Île-de-France, attracting thousands of visitors to the Hôtel de Ville park in Pontault-Combault.

A weekend of music, fado, and folklore

The Fête Franco-Portugaise's musical program features stars of Portuguese music who rarely perform in France. Past editions have hosted Tony Carreira, an iconic figure in Portuguese song, Nininho Vaz Maia, Iran Costa, Sérgio Rossi, Sandra Helena, and many other Lusophone artists. Portuguese folk groups in traditional costumes perform regional dances from Minho, Alentejo, or Madeira, perpetuating the traditions of their country of origin.

Portuguese gastronomy in the spotlight

The festival is also a gastronomic festival in its own right. Food stalls offer emblematic dishes of Portuguese cuisine: bacalhau à brás, carne de porco à alentejana, pastéis de bacalhau, sardinhas assadas, pastéis de nata, bolo de arroz, and many other specialties, accompanied by wines from Douro, Alentejo, and Dão. The aromas of grills and Portuguese pastries fill the Hôtel de Ville park throughout the weekend.

Traditions, crafts, and identity

Beyond music and gastronomy, the Fête Franco-Portugaise is a place for cultural transmission. Craft stalls showcase traditional Portuguese know-how: azulejos, embroidery, filigree, ceramics. Activities for children, traditional games, and photographic exhibitions on the history of Portuguese immigration in France complete the program. The festival is also a time for reunions for the Portuguese community in Seine-et-Marne and beyond.

50 years: a historic anniversary

In 2025, the Fête Franco-Portugaise celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, a historic milestone testifying to the vitality and deep roots of Portuguese culture in Pontault-Combault and Seine-et-Marne. This anniversary edition featured an exceptional program with top headliners and a tribute to fifty years of Franco-Portuguese fraternity.