Festas Populares: Stéphane Duarte turns Lisbon’s street parties into an app

When he realised that thousands of people were checking an Excel spreadsheet on their phones to find out where Lisbon’s Santos Populares festivities were taking place, Stéphane Duarte thought it made little sense. “When we go to the street parties, we do not have a computer with us. What everyone does have is a phone,” says the 29-year-old software engineer.

From an Excel file to the Festas Populares app

The idea stayed with him for days. In May last year, he decided to test it by turning it into a straightforward mobile app solely focused on Lisbon’s street parties. Working almost entirely on his own, he built what the technology world calls an MVP - a minimum viable product containing the essential features - in just four days.

The first version of the Festas Populares app was little more than a calendar listing the main Santos Populares street parties. Stéphane shared it with friends and soon saw that the interest was far more than a passing curiosity. “After one or two days, I already had more than a thousand people using it,” he recalls.

Users began sharing the app with one another, while several TikTok videos helped it go viral. Over the following months, the platform reached 10,000 users and expanded beyond Lisbon. It now brings together popular festivities from the north to the south of Portugal and, as June draws closer, its figures continue to rise.

“This week alone, it has already had more than 2,500 downloads, and I believe we will reach 50,000 active users during June,” says Stéphane Duarte.

An independent project supporting local festivities

The app remains entirely independent, with no investors. Stéphane acknowledges that he cannot devote as many hours to it as he would like, but he has never wanted to turn the project into a business. “It’s a ‘side project’. I do this because I enjoy it,” he says.

His days often extend beyond working hours. The app needs managing, festivities need updating, and users need replies. Even so, he says the effort is worthwhile. “Those who do what they love never tire,” he says.

In recent months, he has also noticed another trend: many users have started sending in festivities and events from their own towns, helping to build the platform’s listings. However, one kind of response surprised him even more.

“The artists themselves started getting in touch and telling me that an app like this was needed to promote their schedules,” he explains.

Santos Populares are back in fashion

Stéphane believes the app’s growth reflects a broader shift. Contrary to the belief that Santos Populares have lost their appeal among younger people, he feels that popular festivities are fashionable again.

“People want to return to these events. They are free, more accessible and have a very relaxed atmosphere,” he argues.