Where to see fado shows in Coimbra, Portugal

What’s it like to see fado shows in Coimbra? and what are the best venues for fado music?

I went to a couple of fado shows in Coimbra to hear this traditional Portuguese music style the city is famous for.

The best show I saw was at a cosy venue in the historic centre called Fado ao Centro. This show comes with explanations in English, which was just what I was looking for.

I enjoyed the beautiful music, learnt quite a bit about fado, and felt it was a great way to get a taste of the local culture.

In this guide I share my experience seeing fado shows in Coimbra and explain how to add a fado show to your Coimbra itinerary.

What is Coimbra fado?

Fado is a traditional Portuguese folk music style.

It’s a mix of musical traditions brought back from Brazil with academic culture and local poetry.

Fado songs are quite melancholic, but very elegant and easy to fall for.

The songs are often about longing, loss, and nostalgia.

You can also hear fado in Lisbon, but the Coimbra fado is a bit different. It’s considered more poetic and reflective, and includes songs about the city of Coimbra itself.

Coimbra fado is traditionally sung and played by students (or former students) from the University of Coimbra and only by men.

The performers wear their black academic cape. The performance has a troubadour-like feel to it.

The singer is accompanied by two guitars: a familiar classical guitar playing rhythm and bass, and the Coimbra guitar.

This is a variation of the Portuguese guitar, pear shaped with a tear drop at the top. It has a unique sound, quite loud and bright, and it suits the songs perfectly.

Famous Coimbra fado songs

• Saudades de Coimbra
• Fado Hilário
• Balada da Despedida
• Abril em Portugal (Coimbra)

Where to see fado shows in Coimbra

There are several well-known spots for fado shows in Coimbra.

Fado ao Centro

For first time visitors, Fado ao Centro is the best place to see a Coimbra fado show

The show includes explanations in English and Portuguese about the meaning of each song and the history of fado.

For me it was the best way to learn about fado while being entertained.

Café Santa Cruz

A traditional cafe that runs free fado shows every day.

Buy a drink or something to eat and enjoy two short sets.

The first time I went there, the place was full and I had to leave.

The second time I arrived early, got a good table right at the front and enjoyed the show.

Though people watch this show while eating and drinking, and there’s some background noise from the counter, the audience is mostly quiet during the show.

aCapella

A cultural house inside a 14th-century chapel behind the Santa Cruz Monastery, in a building that used to be a Medieval Jewish synagogue.

The venue serves food and drinks and runs fado shows every night. Reserve a table for dinner to attend the show.

My experience seeing a live fado show in Coimbra

Fado ao Centro is an intimate venue dedicated to fado shows in Coimbra.

The walls are decorated with framed black and white photos of fado performers that give the space a pleasant vintage feel.

There’s a small stage with two chairs for the two guitar players.

Before the show started, we watched a short documentary film in Portuguese with English subtitles about the history of fado.

Then the evening host came on stage. She gave us a short introduction in both languages and then invited the performers to come on stage.

The show opened with the two guitars playing an instrumental piece that got us into the fado mood.

The show is completely acoustic with no amplification and the sound was perfectly bright and crisp.

I enjoyed the outstanding playing of the Portuguese guitar.

Then the singer came on stage and performed the first song with a beautiful, soulful voice.

At this point I felt the audience was already totally engaged in the experience.

I loved the emotional intensity of these beautiful songs. It resonated.

In between songs, the singer told us what the song was about and what type of fado song it was (like a love serenade or a protest song). For a few songs he shared the lyrics.

That was quite a bit of information delivered in small portions. It gave me the context and understanding that I was after but without overwhelming the audience with too many small details.

Between the two sets, the host came on stage again to tell us more about the history of fado and some peculiar traditions surrounding the music.

While the tone of the documentary film was a bit too formal to be entertaining, I enjoyed listening to the storytelling by the host and the singer on stage.

I feel that the way the evening was structured was cleverly balanced.

It wasn’t one long lecture that most people these days wouldn’t have the patience to follow.

The evening was broken into sections, when the songs were the main feature and the talking helped us understand the songs.

The audience was silent, attentive, and respectful throughout the show. We really focused on the performance.

One exception to that was when we were asked to sing along, and even then we were very quiet and polite doing so.

That’s part of the fado atmosphere. It’s unlike other folk music styles where you’d expect a drunk audience to sing loudly and clap their hands. Coimbra fado is quite reserved.

All in all, it was a special experience to have in Coimbra. Educational and entertaining, designed to help us appreciate a beautiful local tradition.

Is seeing a fado show in Coimbra worth it?

Yes, a fado show in Coimbra is worth it, for music lovers, for anyone who wants to do something different, and for anyone who wants to take the opportunity to learn about a distinct local tradition while visiting Coimbra.

How to add fado shows in Coimbra to your itinerary

Even on a short city break in Coimbra, you can easily fit in an evening fado show.

You can include it if you visit Coimbra for one day or for two days.

The fado shows I saw in Coimbra started at 6 pm.

A one hour show at 6 pm is perfect after sightseeing and walking around. You can relax a bit and enjoy the entertainment after a long day.

The Coimbra fado venues are in the rather compact historic centre. Everything is within walking distance, so you can see the show and then go for dinner at one of the old town restaurants.

If you go to the show at Fado ao Centro, check out the restaurants and bars in the small street called Fernandes Tomás very close to that venue.

If you go to Santa Cruz Cafe, there are many restaurants on the nearby shopping street (called Rua Visconde da Luz, which later turns into Rua Ferreira Borges), and also in Praça do Comércio.

There are also late night shows (around 9-10 pm) at some venues, but they’re not quite ideal after a day of walking around the city and climbing its hills.

Plan your trip to Coimbra

Here are more resources to help you plan a city break in Coimbra:

• Two days in Coimbra (itinerary)
• See the famous University of Coimbra
• How to get to Coimbra
• Cultural experiences in Coimbra

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