The ACASO International Theater Festival is the oldest and longest running scenic and performing arts event of the Central Coastal Region.

Born in Leiria, it extends to several counties of the districts of Leiria and Santarém.

During six weeks, the Festival brings to the region’s public the best of independent theater, music, and dance, in a variety of cultural activities presented in municipal equipments, associative and patrimonial spaces, and in the space/ headquarters of Nariz in Leiria.

Throughout the years, ACASO has hosted more than 200 companies and cultural projects from Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Holland, United Kingdom, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, Cape Verde, Angola and Mozambique, attracting more than 150.000 spectators.

At the base of its recognition and longevity is O NARIZ – Teatro de Grupo, an independent collective of artists based in Leiria.

The ACASO is supported by partnerships with municipalities, companies, associations of social and cultural impact, artistic creation structures and similar festivals, being today a brand of the region and of Leiria, recognized by UNESCO, in 2020, as “Creative City of Music” and that is preparing a candidacy to “European Capital of Culture”.

Learn more on the event’s official page.