The lights are low in the restaurant. Wine glasses clink as the plink of guitar strings floats from a stage at the back. A woman’s voice calls out in a somber tone, quietly at first, then climbing higher and growing stronger. The guitar answers her, matching energy in a flourish of melody. This is fado in Lisbon
Fado is a type of Portuguese traditional music, and it’s a beautiful art form you can enjoy in Lisbon. And elsewhere in Portugal, but let’s stay focused. Spending an evening listening to this heartfelt music is one of the classic experiences of visiting Portugal’s capital.
In this post I’ll cover some background info, give you tips on where to see fado in Lisbon, and cover what it’s like going to a fado show.
What is fado music?
Fado is a traditional music of Portugal. “Fado” means “fate,” and that’s sort of the theme of most fado songs. The songs talk about love and loss, of sailors that never made it home, and of bygone times in an old city. Fado is a pure expression of the Portuguese concept of saudade, a profound sense of longing and nostalgia.
Hold on–you should put some music on for this. Here’s a playlist.
Fado is quintessentially music with a solo singer (fadista) accompanied by guitar. The usual setup is actually two guitars: one standard guitar and one specialized Portuguese guitar. The Portuguese guitar (guitarra) looks and sounds like a large mandolin. It has courses of paired strings that ring out brightly to play melodies, often in a call-and-answer with the fadista. Meanwhile, the rhythm is held down by the standard guitar (confusingly called viola in Portuguese).
Fado music is traditionally performed for audiences in restaurants and bars. Slow, dramatic ballads are what this music is famous for, but fado can also be upbeat and jaunty.
History of fado
The beginning of fado lies somewhere in early 19th century Lisbon, although its origins are much older. It includes influences from Africa and Brazil, where Portuguese explorers ventured during the previous centuries.
In the 20th century, fado was unfortunately coopted by Portugal’s facist regime as a symbol of nationalism. Portugal’s prime minister António Salazar initially banned fado music, but he came to embrace it as a type of propaganda. After Portugal’s revolution of 1974, there were distinctly mixed feelings about fado.
Today, a renaissance of younger artists has re-energized fado. Modern fado is influenced by jazz, pop, rock and more. But traditional form of the music is still very much alive.
Where to see fado in Lisbon
Museum of Fado (Museu do Fado)
If you’re interested in fado, the best place to start is the Museum of Fado (Museu do Fado). The museum is located in Alfama, the oldest and most traditional neighborhood of Lisbon. Their collection includes musical instruments, art, and artifacts that tell the story of fado. You can also listen to recordings of some of the greatest artists, including the queen of fado Amália Rodrigues.
The museum is a bit of a deep dive for the casual visitor, but it’s well worth a stop just to see the highlights. Admission to the Museum of Fado is only $5. It’s open 10 am to 6 pm. Closed Mondays.
Fado shows in Lisbon
Of course, the classic way to experience fado is out at a restaurant or bar. At the risk of oversimplifying things, you can break evening fado performances down into two broad categories: touristic fado shows and local fado nights at restaurants and bars.
At a fado show, the model is basically to sell tickets for dinner and a show at a specific venue and time. Booking a ticket to one of these shows is the easiest way to see fado in Lisbon. Now, this may not sound like an “authentic” experience, but I argue that’s less of a concern than you might think. Just because a venue decides to sell tickets to tourists does not mean the quality of the performance is lower. In fact, many of the historic fado houses now work on mostly reservations.
The only fado show I can personally recommend is at Adega Machado. See below for a full version of my experience there! I have also seen consensus that the iconic restaurant O Faia is worth the elevated price for an outstanding night of fado.
Local fado nights
The other option is to find nightly fado at a restaurant or bar. The model here is generally that you pay for dinner and the music is included for free. Some places cater heavily to tourists, while others are more truly local. It depends. While not as convenient as a show, a fado night in a little bar may have more of the atmosphere that many travelers are looking for.
Where should you find a good fado night? If you’re going this route, I would commit to scouting out different places as you wander a bit. Head to the spiritual home of fado, the Alfama district. Start near the aforementioned Museum of Fado and let your eyes and ears guide you as you walk uphill. Dinner in Lisbon is usually after 8 pm, but fado performances might start even later around 9 or 10 pm.
If you want specific recommendations, you can check with tour guides, your hotel, or at the Museum of Fado.
What to expect at a fado show
When I visited Lisbon, I loved going to the fado show at Adega Machado in the Bairro Alto neighborhood.
When we arrived, our group was seated for dinner at a long table in a big room. I think the room itself is the main criticism I would make of the experience. It was a bland dining room, not the sort of characteristic space that would compliment the timeless quality of the music.
Overall the food was good, although maybe not the most memorable. They served courses in between three different singers. The entree choices for dinner were steak or sea bass. Of course the wine was good too, but that’s pretty much everywhere in Portugal!
The music was wonderful, and that’s mainly why I recommend this show. Three singers each did a short set of songs. I really enjoyed seeing their different musical styles. The first was a male singer who put a lot of physicality into his performance, reaching out to the audience. After him were two female singers, one who had a big resonant voice and the other who had a quieter, more elegant style.
Backing them up was a 3-piece band. There was a Portuguese guitar, a standard guitar and an acoustic bass, which provided a rich background. The band and singers played off each other well, creating a captivating musical dialogue that unfolded throughout the show.
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