Tomar is about 140km North of Lisbon, located in the municipality of Santarém, between Lisbon and Coimbra. It is easily accessed by main transport routes. There is a good intercity motorway between main cities.
Here is a link to the Tomar website: www.cm-tomar.pt
Tomar can be accessed from Lisbon, Porto or Faro airports, however the fastest way to get to Tomar is via Lisbon airport. There is a direct metro link from the airport into Lisbon city, where you can pick up a regional train from Oriente station direct to Tomar. The train from Oriente to Tomar takes about 2 hours. If you choose to travel from Porto airport the train journey is about 4-5 hours.
To get to Tomar from Lisbon airport take the metro to Oriente Train Station. There is a frequent regional train service to Tomar. The train journey from Oriente is approximately 2 hours. For all train times, prices and route planning, please consult www.cp.pt.
There is also a bus service that runs from Lisboa Sete Rios Station to Tomar. To consult timetables and purchase tickets, visit www.rede-expressos.pt
If you are travelling in a group, you may wish to consider an airport transfer service that provides private door-to-door transport for you and your luggage, as the shared cost can work out to be very reasonable, and it has the added benefit of comfort and convenience. Examples of services used by previous participants include:
www.airportshuttle.pt
www.lisbonairporttransfersto.com
From Porto airport, take the metro to São Bento or Campanhã train station. From there, catch an Alfa or Intercidades train to Entroncamento and from there a regional train to Tomar. The train journey is approximately 4-5 hours. For all train times, prices and route planning, please consult www.cp.pt.
From Faro Airport, take a taxi to Faro train station (approximately 15 minutes, depending on traffic). From there, you can either take a train north to Lisbon’s Oriente train station and change to a regional service to get to Tomar, or take a train north to Entroncamento and from there change to the regional train to Tomar. The train journey is approximately 7-8 hours. For all train times, prices and route planning, please consult www.cp.pt.
There is a taxi rank in front of the train station, and it is a short trip to any of the hotels and hostels. For those that travel light and prefer to walk, the hotels listed on our site are within a 15-minute walk from the train station.
Bus transport will be provided for participants to ZêzereArts events as required. Some events will be within walking distance of the hotels listed on our site.
ENHANCED Choral Programme: singers should aim to arrive in Tomar by 2.30pm at the latest on Saturday 13th July 2024 in order to be on time for registration and the first rehearsal.
Festival Choir and Chorus FULL Programme: singers should aim to arrive in Tomar by 2.30pm at the latest on Saturday 13th July 2024 in order to be on time for registration and the first rehearsal.
Festival Chorus COMPACT Programme: registration and the first rehearsal will be at 9.15am on Wednesday 17th July 2024, so singers who are not local to the area should aim to arrive in Tomar the previous afternoon.
ENHANCED Choral Programme: welcome, registration and the first rehearsal will be at 3.30pm on Saturday 13th July 2024.
Festival Choir and Chorus FULL Programme: welcome, registration and the first rehearsal will be at 3.30pm on Saturday 13th July 2024.
Festival Chorus COMPACT Programme: welcome, registration and the first rehearsal will be at 9.15am on Wednesday 17th July 2024.
Choral programme participants typically have an average of six hours of rehearsal per day, in the morning (9.30am-1pm) and in the afternoon/evening (3-6pm or 4-7pm) with coffee breaks. The long lunch break allows time for a swim, a siesta or for exploring Tomar’s many interesting sights.
On concert days, rehearsal timings are altered according to the dress rehearsal schedule of each concert venue and/or to allow for travel.
A detailed schedule for the week will be sent by email to all participants shortly before the start of the festival. Thereafter, to enable us to adapt to the needs of the music, any necessary changes, such as timings or locations, will be communicated on a day-by-day basis (e.g. via WhatsApp).
Participants who have booked for individual singing lessons: you will be introduced to your teacher during the first rehearsal and will schedule your lessons directly with them.
Yes, you need to book your own accommodation. There are various options in Tomar to suit most requirements and budgets. Our accommodation page lists some hotel suggestions. You should book with the hotels directly, and not via third-party sites, and say that you are participating in the ZêzereArts Festival.
Tomar has a range of dining options, from cheap and cheerful cafes offering soups, sandwiches and salads, and traditional, family-owned restaurants offering lunchtime specials, to more international restaurants.
Your music scores/details of editions to purchase will be sent to you in advance. In most cases these will be sent by email as PDF files for you to download to a tablet device or print out as hard copies.
Only the versions we send/approve may be used for ZêzereArts rehearsals and performances. Where possible, these will be provided free of charge; for works still within copyright, a modest fee towards the cost of purchasing scores/licences may be added to each singer’s final balance.
If using paper scores, you should print out and check all the pieces for each concert before you travel.
You should bring a black folder to hold the unbound music for concerts. If you intend to use a tablet device, this must also be black.
We strongly recommend that you download/print out everything before you travel and then bring the complete set with you. In the event that you forget or lose any of your music, it will be your responsibility to print out new copies locally. There are various photocopying/printing places in Tomar, for example Digicópia in Rua Amorim Rosa or for just a few pages, the Papelaria O Clipneto in Rua Infantaria.
Men should wear black full-length trousers, a plain black shirt, and black closed-toe shoes for all choral concert performances.
Women should wear black trousers or a long black skirt, with a plain black top for the midweek choral concert (Tuesday or Wednesday), and a block coloured top for the Festival Chorus concerts (Friday and Saturday).
Detailed information is sent to participants in advance of the festival.
Entry to all concerts is free of charge, and no advance booking is required. Your visitors may wish to arrive early to ensure a seat in some of the smaller venues.