Festival Iminente celebrates ten years in space with “many possibilities”

O Festival Iminente, which combines music and plastic arts, is held this year, for the first time, at the former Escola Industrial Afonso Domingues, in Marvila, closed 15 years ago, for being located on the path of the project of the Third Cross over the Tagus, between Chelas and Barreiro, which would allow the passage of the high-speed train.

The space, however voted to abandon, “has brought many challenges and also opened many possibilities” to the organization, told Lusa the director of the festival, Juliana Almeida, today, on a visit to the one who, on 17, 18, 19 and 20 September, will be the enclosure of the Iminente.

“ When we first came in here, there was nothing but garbage everywhere, in every room, all over the hall. That was one of the great challenges. There was no water, there was no electricity. He was just abandoning, with tiles falling ", described.

Since November, the organization is in the old school “to revitalize everything possible”, without touching the structure, but for example, opening some doors, taking into account the emergency plan.

The walls are covered with graffiti, and space will be transformed “from the visual arts, but always respecting what already existed”.

Over the years, the building eventually became home to homeless people, a situation the festival's organization had previously known.

Initially there were 22 people who lived there when the festival organization reached space.

“The Imminent never asked people to leave. We have always believed that there is room for coexistence”, he said.

However, together with the Lisbon City Hall, accommodation solution was found for the majority, but six wanted to stay in the old school.

“ These people stay here, live here and obviously the public will not be able to access the area where they live,” Juliana Almeida said, saying that two of the people who live there are working with the organization, “in the preparation of space, and in the visual arts.”.

Also according to Juliana Almeida, during the days of the Iminent, the organization secured accommodation near the old school, where these people can spend the night, but having access to the festival, if they so wish.

“ This idea of coexistence, which is very strong in the Imminent, is being applied here, even physically, because we are doing the festival, preparing the festival and there are people who live here. But we are aligned, we have an open dialogue with all the people who still inhabit space”, he said.

The idea of “coexistence” is reflected, for example, in the musical poster, which brings together consecrated and emerging artists, various musical styles, from rap to hardcore, going through rock, fado, intervention music or funana.

Over the four days, more than 140 artists will perform on five stages.

Among the artists and bands are names like DJ Premier, Ustad Fazel Sapand, AJULLIACOSTA, La Familia Gitana, Dead City, Sam The Kid (who, with Orchestra and Black Ear, will present the album “Beats Vol.1: Love”), Mind Da Gap, Micro, Dead Hand, in a show with accordionist João Barradas and visual artist Mariana Vilanova, Dino d’Santiago, Batida, Lena d’Água, La Familia Gitana, Gisela João, DJ Marfox and DJ Nigga Fox, Ana Lua Caiano, A Girl No and UN!DD, project that brings together Acia Maior, Cachupa Psicadélica, Fidju Kitxora, Prétu and Scúru Fitchadu.

On the visit to space, also guided by DJ Marfox, who was a student at school, finalist in the year that the space ended, it was known that the Stage Campo will be installed in one of the old football fields, whose floor will be intervened by the double Halfstudio and that on the 19th will even return to host a game with teams from various football clubs of Lisbon neighborhoods.

In this issue comes the Shock Stage, installed on a bumper track, which will be in an area where there was a second football field.

In another outdoor space, an old tennis court, will be the Stage Court, where several DJs, a ‘halfpipe’ and various artistic interventions will perform.

It is also there that on the last day will be installed a ‘picander’, the responsibility of the Precarious Festival, with activities designed for the child audience.

Already inside the building, the old cafeteria and leisure room, where the finalists' dances were held and which is being intervened by 3D Crew, will host the Cantina Stage.

In one of the nights, Planet Manas, which closed in 2025, will again have a space, “transforming the closure of a space that wants an argument about continuity, city and belonging”.

There will also be a night of celebration of Cape Verde culture, with funaná concerts, and another of Duro de Roer concerts, event dedicated to hardcore scene and metalcore.

In other interior spaces, which once were classrooms, laboratories or workshops, will be the exhibition of the project Neighborhoods (continued work programme of the Iminent with associations and communities of Lisbon), restaurants, shops, there will be cinema sessions, conversations, dance performances and artistic facilities.

The old gym, the only open space to the public on the top floor of the building, will host an installation of Vhils, a new way to present, using audiovisual means, the work of the artist dedicated to the writer José Saramago, which is on Paimogo beach, in Lourinhã.

The Nobel Prize in Literature was, along with other public figures such as the former leader of PCP Jerónimo de Sousa and football coach Fernando Santos, a student of that school, inaugurated in 1956 and who, at the time of the closure, had 290 students and 80 teachers.

In addition to Vhils, Halfstudio and 3D Crew, the visual arts poster also includes artists such as Wasted Rita, ±Massless±, Tamara Alves, Pedrêz, Pedrita, Obey SKTR, Halfstudio, KRUS.

The full schedule can be consulted on the site www.festivaliminente.com.

Passes for the four festival days cost 60 euros (more fees), with three-day passes (17, 18 and 19; 18, 19 and 20), which cost 55 euros, two-day passes (19 and 20), 38 euros, and daily tickets, for 20 euros. Taxes are added to these prices.

The compound has a capacity for 5,000 people a day.