Next September 11th, the garden of MACAM – Armando Martins Museum of Contemporary Art, in Lisbon, becomes the setting for one of the most singular gastronomic nights of the year. Ladies Night Fest brings together, in a single event, some of the most relevant women in contemporary Portuguese and international gastronomy, in a celebration that blends fine dining, street food, wines, cocktails, art, music and performative experiences.
The main dishes of this gastronomic celebration are served by a star-studded cast that includes names such as Joké Bakare, the second Black chef in the world (and the first in the UK) to earn a Michelin star; Angélica Salvador, the first Brazilian to join the Michelin firmament outside Brazil; Justa Nobre, an essential name in Portuguese cuisine; French chef Louise Bourrat, winner of Top Chef France 2022 and Chef of the Year 2025 in Portugal; and the event’s host, Lara Figueiredo, Pastry Chef of the Year in Portugal.
“This is an event in the feminine, but for everyone”, explains Lara Figueiredo, executive chef and pastry chef at MACAM. “It’s a unique night of communion, in which we bring together our talent with that of many other women, from gastronomy and beyond, in MACAM’s beautiful garden, extending into the old chapel, which today is our performing arts space”.
A night to taste, discover and stay
The programme doesn’t end with the guest chefs’ dishes. Actress, presenter and cooking enthusiast Joana Barrios joins Elisabete Ferreira, the first woman to be considered World’s Best Baker, to prepare one of the evening’s gastronomic offerings. Silvéria and her daughters, from the restaurant Tia Alice, serve rissóis with the famous Negrais-style suckling pig; Spanish Maria Alvarez Garcia, daughter of fashion designer Purificación Garcia, presents her artisanal Giola ice creams; and from Setúbal come the celebrated Neptunpearl oysters, from Célia Rodrigues.
For street food lovers, there are two food trucks, run by women, of course: at Wonder Braz, by Mafalda Caldas, there will be a Namibe crab brás and a pleurotus mushroom brás for those who prefer the vegetarian option; at Ao Ataco!, by Filipa Chagas, there will be birria tacos, with braised beef, and jackfruit tacos with homemade BBQ sauce, in the vegan option. Rounding out the gastronomic offering will be D.P.C. olive oil tastings and Gourmet House Caviar tastings, plus a performative gastronomic installation by Food Design Lab Lisbon.
Female talent also shines in the drinks. The wines will be from Churchill’s, the Porto and Douro wine brand led by Zoe Graham, and from Alentejo’s Adega Mayor, by Rita Nabeiro. Flavi Andrade, bar manager at Rossio Gastrobar, will serve a cocktail with the support of Casa Cachaça, founded by Raquel Lopes. For those who prefer to avoid alcohol, young entrepreneur Maria Lima brings to Ladies Night Fest her three artisanal alcohol-free drink brands: Aquela Kombucha, Hey Kay! (organic soda) and Klaaark (ginger beer).
As has become customary, Ladies Night Fest’s female talent embraces other worlds beyond gastronomy. In MACAM’s Grand Hall, four artists will present their work live: visual artist Helena Obersteiner (tapestry), designer Carolina Andrade (ceramics), artisan Candace Martins (beeswax candles) and textile artist Teresa Antunes.
The festival’s musical entertainment will be led by Maria Oliveira, co-founder of Ode Studio and Night Stories.
The gastronomic component runs between 6:00pm and 10:30pm, but the night doesn’t end there. Those who choose the ticket with after party extend the experience until 1:00am, with a concert by Maria Vegas and a DJ set by Maria do Mar at àCapela – Live Arts & Bar, MACAM’s integrated performing arts space.
The combination of gastronomy, art and music takes on particular dimension at MACAM, housed in the historic Palácio Condes da Ribeira Grande, in Alcântara-Belém. The museum brings together modern and contemporary art in a complex that also includes a five-star hotel and various dining and cultural programming spaces, making the garden and the old chapel a natural part of the evening’s setting.
One ticket, the whole experience
One of the central features of Ladies Night Fest X MACAM is the simplicity of the experience: the ticket includes all the gastronomic experiences and bar service available during the festival. The event is rated M/6, with tickets payable from age 8 upwards.
The announced prices are €85 for the Gastronomic Festival, €95 for Festival + After Party and €25 for children aged 8 to 12.
Tickets are available through Ticketline and at the MACAM box office.
A festival unlike any other in the world
Ladies Night Fest X MACAM is the fifth event of this year’s Ladies Night Fest edition, a festival unlike any other in the world: it is the only entirely female gastronomic festival that is touring, travelling through five Portuguese cities in 10 dinners over the course of this year. “The project was born from a simple but necessary idea: to give a stage to women who are making their mark on different territories of gastronomy, from signature cuisine to more traditional cooking”, explains the event’s founder and curator, Nelson Marques. “This is also a festival that is unique in involving many other female talents. From the first dinner, in April, to the last, in December, we will be showcasing close to a hundred chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers, barmaids, front-of-house staff, small producers, winemakers, and even artists”,
Ladies Night Fest x MACAM
September 11th, 2026 | 6:00pm – 1:00am MACAM – Armando Martins Museum of Contemporary Art Rua da Junqueira, 66, 1300-343 Lisbon