Shopping Brasília, located at the Boavista Roundabout, celebrates its 50th anniversary on October 9. To mark the occasion—and with its renovation work now complete—the mall has organized a three-day program, from October 8 to 10, featuring music, urban art, and cuisine
Three days of celebration
Thursday, October 8: Brasília à Mesa
The festivities begin at the table at 3: 30 p.m. with chef Hélio Loureiro and the presentation of the book *As Receitas do Shopping Brasília*. Between courses, there will also be a performance by opera singer Daniel Fernandes.
Friday, October 9: the anniversary celebration
On the very day Brasília turns half a century old, there will be a concert at 6:00 p.m., featuring Mar Umbert Kimura and Maria Miguel Pires. Also on this day, artist Mr. Dheo will unveil a commemorative mural, approximately 10 meters long by 6 meters high.
At 7:30 p.m., according to the published program, Porto City Council President Pedro Duarte, journalist Carlos Magno, Porto Commercial Association President Nuno Botelho, and musician Pedro Abrunhosa will sit down together to discuss Brasília’s role in the city’s life, in a conversation moderated by historian Joel Cleto.
Saturday, October 10: About 100 musicians throughout the mall
The finale will feature about a hundred musicians and choir members, who will be spread throughout the building in a performance created specifically for the occasion, conducted by José Pinheiro.
A Bit of Brasília’s History
From the “Rapariguinha do Shopping” to a New Life
Brasília even made its way into Portuguese music: it was the inspiration for “Rapariguinha do Shopping,” with lyrics by Carlos Tê, which Rui Veloso recorded on his 1980 album *Ar de Rock*.
With the arrival of large shopping malls in Greater Porto in the mid-1990s, it began to lose customers, and Charlot, its movie theater, eventually closed. Even so, Brasília never stopped operating. The renovation, now complete, aims to restore its place in the city’s daily life.
1976: The Year of the Escalators
When it opened, Brasília had 242 stores, a 400-seat movie theater, and a novelty that no one wanted to miss: six escalators. According to a report by Renascença, visitors came from all over the country—and even from Spain—just to try out the escalators—and there were those who rode them up and down simply for the thrill of the novelty.
The first of its kind in the Iberian Peninsula?
Brasília itself bills itself as the first shopping mall in the Iberian Peninsula, but there is no consensus on this title: Apolo 70, in Lisbon, opened its doors at the beginning of that decade, and some consider it the pioneer. According to Público, Brasília’s management counters that it was the first to be built from the ground up as a shopping center.
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