Before we rush into our plans and dreams for 2026, let us acknowledge 2025 for what it was: a year in which the value of truth and coherence sank to unprecedented lows, in favour of trend and reach; when reasoned argument was once again silenced by online bullying, free of charge.

A year when genocide and disregard for national sovereignty were reinforced by increasingly hostile and oblivious external policies; when AI and the algorithm hijacked talent and effort, while the music industry openly invested in war technology. A year when a general strike that spread across Portugal like a wildfire was flagrantly portrayed as insignificant by the country’s government and —yet on the subject of wildfires— when the pursue of profit once more justified watching our country burn. A year when anti-democratic mobs further penetrated the fabric of our hard-earned democracies; when meaningless blabber massively drowned out considered voicing; when resistance to authoritarianism was further demonised by the established discourse; when racism, sexism, and other shades of prejudice became publicly normalised—and when hardly anyone seemed to be held accountable for any of it.

You may be wondering why you should be reading about politics in an arts newsletter. If that’s the case, this would be a good time to unsubscribe. Be that as it may, rest assured that we will keep doing what we love, in accordance with our beliefs, finding meaning in small gestures, and encouraging awareness, consideration and togetherness through the practice of arts and culture. In the unlikely case that we haven’t blown your attention span yet, here’s what’s coming up.

Live at the Secret Cinema

In this first trimester of 2026, your favourite basement in Aveiro will witness an unprecedented majority of Portuguese music acts. Against all odds, music in Portugal seems to be alive and kicking, and we’re indeed happy to showcase such a healthy diversity of sonic appetites at our former clandestine cinema. Brazil, Canada, France, Serbia, Spain and Sweden will also join us for dinner.

Sat 24 JAN | 21:30 dUAS sEMIcOLCHEIAS iNVERTIDAS [PT] + Musgos [PT]

Sat 31 JAN | 21:30 O Triunfo dos Acéfalos [PT] + Twisted Freak [PT]

Fri 13 FEB | 21:30 Sophia Djebel Rose [MA | FR]

Fri 20 FEB | 21:30 La ragazza in vetrina (1961) by Luciano Emmer [ cinema ]

Thu 26 FEB | 21:30 I ERROR by Samuel Martins Coelho [PT]

Mon 09 MAR | 21:30 Lencastre, Sousa, Morato, Skoric [PT | RS]

Thu 19 MAR | 21:30 Songs of Seeking Ensemble [BR | CA | PT]

Saturday 24th will see the reunion of two projects very dear to us: the legendary trio dUAS sEMIcOLCHEIAS iNVERTIDAS has played their blend of noise rock, post-punk and free jazz throughout hundreds of live shows all over Europe; Musgos is a bass-and-drums duo based in Aveiro, exploring post-progressive art-punk-jazz soundscapes. Their debut album, Memórias Dissonantes de Paisagens Arrítmicas, was released on our label VIC NIC in 2022.

January naturally comes to an end on Saturday 31st with two proposals by Rotten\Fresh: O Triunfo dos Acéfalos—an electro-punk duo with a strong political stance. In the words of Paulo André Cecílio from Expresso, their latest album ERA MATÁ-LOS is “an electronic punk bomb full of slogans against the current system”. Involved in several relevant projects, such as Conferência Inferno and Palmiers, Twisted Freak’s music leans towards ambient and experimental electronics, skilfully illustrated by his most recent album Música Para Dormir Vol. 5.

Rage against the algorithm

After somewhat of a break, our mixed-media label VIC NIC is back on track. Having finally obtained a confirmation that our full back catalogue will soon be out of Spotify —and looking forward to exploring fairer pastures such as Subvert.fm, Metalabel and Nina—our circulatory device for sonic, visual and written artworks is about to slide down your chimney with a full bag of fresh releases for all tastes and formats. Here are some of our upcoming proposals:

• VN008 | V.A. - MAGMA: Materia en Vibración [digital + hydrophone]

• VN009 | V.A. - From Chronos to Kairos [digital + vinyl]

• VN010 | Skier and Yeti - Adventure in a Blizzard [digital + vinyl]

While we put the final touches to the long delayed compilations From Chronos to Kairos and MAGMA (not to be confused with MAGA), stay tuned for the three singles that will precede the debut album of Serbian monster-band Skier and Yeti. Having previously hosted their wild live show at VAGA and Festival dos Canais, we can testify that the Balkan duo absolutely kicks ass. Equipped with skilled breakbeats, heavy basses, phased-out riffs, a disposition for nonsense, and their own brew of musical instruments made out of winter-sports apparel, these rakija-drinking creatures can blend low rock, bass music and psychedelia like a wind turbine surfing an avalanche. Exciting!

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Learn. Explore. Share it IN LOCO.

As part of our ongoing work in capacity-building, cross-pollination and mobility in the arts, last December saw the second in a series of events dedicated to live performance in electronic music take over the Aveiro Arts House. Over four days, a group of electronic musicians from Austria, Italy, Portugal and Spain experimented together in residency to present seven masterclasses and two live shows.

Funded by Creative Europe and coordinated by the Polish organisation Plateaux Foundation, in collaboration with six other EU countries, the project will have its next Portuguese edition taking place at VIC in late April 2026. If you wish to expand your knowledge of the technical, creative and logistical aspects of performing live electronic music, don’t miss the next—and final—edition of IN LOCO: Adventurous Music, Plateaux edition.

(Still) a creative ecosystem

Remember that—besides blurting out our deep political frustrations and being fully immersed in music and sound—we also host arts residencies and run a charming guesthouse for culture aficionados, while wholeheartedly dedicating ourselves to the conservation and promotion of the artistic heritage of multifaceted artist and humanist Vasco Branco. Did we mention that we love music and hate authoritarianism?