The European Night of Museums once again transforms museums, monuments, and palaces across the country into spaces for gathering, discovery, and cultural celebration, with dozens of free activities designed for all audiences. Under the international theme “Museums Bridging Divides,” the MMP programme as well as the programme of the Portuguese Network of Museums invites visitors to experience museums beyond their usual opening hours, through concerts, themed visits, performances, workshops, historical reenactments, and participatory experiences. Bringing a week of celebrations to a close, the Night of Museums offers countless activities, including after-hours visits to hundreds of venues, reinforcing the role of museums and monuments as vibrant, accessible spaces closely connected to their communities. Consult the full programme and come visit us!

For 2026, ICOM defined the theme “Museums Uniting a Divided World” as the guiding framework for the celebrations. This theme reinforces the mission of museums as spaces for dialogue and inclusion, where diverse stories meet and are valued. In a world marked by differences and global challenges, museums have the power to inspire empathy, promote knowledge, and build connections that transcend borders, contributing to a more united, aware, and supportive society. MU.SA – Sintra Museum of the Arts joins the celebrations of International Museum Day and the European Night of Museums by offering a rich, varied, inclusive, and free programme.

The theme proposed by ICOM for 2026, “Museums Uniting a Divided World”, provides the conceptual framework for the celebrations, calling on museums to affirm themselves as spaces for encounter, dialogue, inclusion, and collective creation. Within this context, a symbolic and simultaneous inaugural moment is proposed across the entire MMP network, to take place on Sunday, 17 May, at 4:00 pm, marking the start of the International Museum Day celebrations.