This Friday, September 11, Forum Braga celebrates its eighth anniversary, having welcomed more than 4.1 million visitors and hosted 1,800 events, with the goal of embarking on a new cycle of growth by strengthening its role in attracting events, organizations, and audiences to the city.

After eight years of success, Forum Braga is preparing for a new phase focused on attracting more national and international events, diversifying its programming, and drawing in new audiences. Among the priorities are also deepening relationships with promoters and organizations, enhancing the experience provided to participants and visitors, and consolidating Braga as a competitive destination in the market for major events and business tourism.

For Luís Rodrigues, executive director of InvestBraga, the eighth anniversary represents, above all, the beginning of a new phase. “These eight years have allowed us to establish Forum Braga and demonstrate the strategic importance of this facility for the city. Today, we have the experience and capacity needed to be more ambitious. The next step involves strengthening our relationship with promoters and organizations, expanding our network of partnerships, and intensifying Forum Braga’s presence in the

national and international markets. We want more and more people to choose Braga because of what happens at Forum Braga,” he states.

The venue’s versatility is one of its key assets for this new cycle. Conferences and conventions, trade shows, major shows, concerts, and corporate events coexist in a space capable of accommodating different formats, sizes, and audiences, allowing Forum Braga to compete in various segments of the events market. This versatility has been a hallmark of the venue since its opening, combining initiatives promoted by InvestBraga with events organized by external promoters, companies, associations, and institutions.

The executive director of InvestBraga also highlights the economic impact generated by Forum Braga’s activities. “Every major event we manage to bring to Braga has an impact that extends far beyond the doors of Forum Braga. It brings participants and visitors who stay in our hotels, dine at local restaurants, use local services, explore the city, and boost the local economy. That is also why we want to continue growing: because Forum Braga is a tool for promoting the city and boosting its economy.”

Since its opening, Forum Braga has welcomed more than 4.1 million visitors across a total of over 1,800 events, including 389 congresses and conferences and 635 shows and concerts.

CONGRESS ACTIVITY REACHES A NEW HIGH IN 2026

The congress and conference segment is becoming increasingly important to Forum Braga’s operations. Since 2018, the venue has hosted 389 events of this nature, progressively strengthening its appeal in this market.

The results achieved in 2026 are particularly impressive. Through July, 60 conventions and conferences were held, a number that already exceeds the total recorded in any previous year. In 2024, which has so far been the best full year for this metric, Forum Braga had hosted 51 events of this kind.

The cultural and entertainment sector has also contributed significantly to the venue’s activity. Since opening, Forum Braga has hosted 635 shows and concerts, 57 of which have already taken place in 2026.

According to Ana Rita Ribeiro, director of Forum Braga, “Forum Braga’s strength lies in its versatility and its ability to accommodate events of different sizes and types. These past eight years have allowed us to build up experience, knowledge, and relationships with promoters, companies, and institutions. The challenge now is to transform that experience into growth: to strengthen our ability to attract conferences and major events, draw in new audiences and national and international organizations, and continue to elevate the quality of the experience we offer to those who choose Forum Braga and the city of Braga.”

A FACILITY SERVING THE CITY AND THE REGION

Opened on September 11, 2018, Forum Braga succeeded the former Braga Exhibition Park, providing the city with infrastructure equipped to meet the demands of the contemporary events market.

Over the past eight years, the facility has hosted initiatives in the business, cultural, conference, institutional, and entertainment sectors, organized by InvestBraga and external entities. This diversity has allowed it to serve a wide range of purposes and play a significant role in promoting Braga and the region.

These activities also help strengthen the city’s position in the business and events tourism sector by attracting participants, visitors, and entrepreneurs.