If you’re planning to celebrate Santo António tonight in Lisbon, major transportation disruptions on the eve of Santo António will significantly impact your evening plans. Here’s what you need to know:
Metro Service Shutting Down Tonight
The Lisbon Metro will close all stations at 8:00 PM tonight instead of running until 3:00 AM as it usually does on the night of June 12. This early closure is due to a worker assembly scheduled for tonight, which the company describes as having disproportionate impacts during one of the city’s biggest celebrations.
All four metro lines (Yellow, Green, Blue, and Red) will be affected by this closure.
Major Road Closures in Lisbon Begin at 6 PM
Starting at 6:00 PM tonight, extensive road closures will take effect across central Lisbon:
- Avenida da Liberdade will be completely closed to traffic for the Popular Marches parade
- The Marquês de Pombal area including Rua António Augusto de Aguiar and Fontes Pereira de Melo
- Braamcamp and Duque de Palmela streets will be cut off
- Access to Rossio will be blocked
- The Sé area around the Lisbon Cathedral will have circulation restrictions from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM for the Santo António weddings.
These closures will remain in effect until 8:00 AM Friday morning.
Bus and Tram Services Will Also Be Affected
Carris workers are on a 24-hour strike today, which will impact bus and tram services throughout the city. While minimum services have been decreed by arbitration, expect significant delays and reduced frequency.
How to Prepare for Tonight
If you need the Lisbon metro to get home, plan to leave celebrations before 8 PM. Bring extra cash for taxis since Uber and Bolt will be available but expect inflated prices and limited availability. Consider staying in central Lisbon until public transport resumes Friday morning if you’re able to stay up all night.
For personal safety, wear comfortable walking shoes since you may need to walk home. Stay hydrated and be careful about consuming too much alcohol if you have to walk all the way home. Don’t carry valuable items or large amounts of cash with you.
Police Presence and Safety
The PSP has deployed multiple units throughout the city, including visibility patrols, traffic control, and the Special Police Unit to increase security during the festivities tonight. They strongly recommend using public transport when available and avoiding parking in prohibited areas that could block emergency vehicles.
Carris Buses May Be Free from 6:00 PM Tonight
As a response to the last-minute cancellation of services, the mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, has asked Carris to make bus transport free from 6 pm and until 8:00 a.m. on Friday, June 13 to make up for the lack of services from the Lisbon Metro, but this has not yet been confirmed at the time of this writing.
Impact on Lisbon Residents
It’s particularly disappointing that the timing of the union trade meetings and strike coincides with one of Lisbon’s most cherished cultural events. The decision by Carris workers to strike and the Metro’s subsequent closure effectively deprives residents living on the outskirts of Lisbon of fully enjoying Santos Populares without facing impossible choices: staying out all night until services resume, paying exorbitant taxi fares, or attempting to walk all the way home, which is sometimes impossible depending on the route.
For many residents with health or mobility issues, walking home in the middle of the night simply isn’t an option. It’s deeply unfortunate that the public transport companies are essentially punishing the very people who depend on their services daily and denying them equal access to participate in their city’s traditional festivities.
Stay safe and have a great Santos Populares evening, despite the circumstances.
