25th Portimão Photographic Race

Portimão Museum opens exhibition of the 25th Portimão Photographic Race with 2025 winning images, celebrating the spirit of the first edition

The exhibition opens on 13 December at 4:00 p.m. at the Portimão Museum, in a ceremony that will conclude the programme marking City Day.
The showcase of award-winning works and the prize-giving ceremony of the 25th Portimão Photographic Race will take place on Saturday, 13 December, at 4:00 p.m. at the Museum, bringing to a close the official programme celebrating the 101st anniversary of Portimão’s elevation to city status.

25th edition of the Photographic Race

This year, the 25th edition of the Photographic Race adopted a format that both celebrated and revisited the spirit of its very first edition—an event that has gained notable significance since its inception. To honour this landmark 25th anniversary, the competition returned to a model inspired by the 2001 debut, offering 24-hour and 12-hour photographic challenges.

Participants were invited to shoot continuously from 8:00 p.m. on 16 May to 8:00 p.m. on 17 May, while capturing the same 24 themes set in the original 2001 competition.

Photographers were tasked with interpreting subjects such as: “Points of light,” “Shadows and silhouettes,” “Lit windows or shopfronts?”, “Letters of light,” “Not all is darkness…,” “Night people,” “Shiny surface,” “Objects,” “River Arade,” “Bridge,” “Boats,” “Reflections on water,” “Largo 1.º de Dezembro,” “Nature,” “Sculpture,” “Old house,” “Red among other colours,” “Interesting door,” “Looks like vertical lines,” “Stone or rock—it’s all the same!,” “The wave so close,” “From bottom to top,” “Notice this detail,” and “Between the sea and the sky, there it is…”

Across both formats, the 25th Portimão Photographic Race—organised by the Portimão Municipality through its museum—attracted 71 photography enthusiasts from several regions of Portugal and representing 10 nationalities, reinforcing the international reach of what is considered one of the most competitive events of its kind in southern Portugal.

Exhibition timetable

Given its growing relevance, the event stands as one of the highlights of the 101st anniversary celebrations of Portimão’s elevation to city status, marked on 11 December. With activities running from 5–13 December, the exhibition’s opening will serve as the closing event in a programme dedicated this year to celebrating people—those who build, care for, inspire and continuously reimagine the city.

The winning works from each theme will be on display at the museum from 13 December at 4:00 p.m., remaining open to visitors until 29 March. The exhibition will be accessible to the public on Tuesdays from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The initiative, promoted by the Municipality and the Portimão Museum, is supported by GAMP – Friends of the Portimão Museum, ANAFA – Algarve Photographers Association, CLCC, Restinga Restaurant and the newspaper Sul Informação.

The full official programme for the 101st anniversary celebrations—including institutional moments, cultural and sporting events, and activities organised by local associations—can be consulted online HERE