The Government is promoting activities on Labor Day, highlighting the commemorative show ‘Tribute to Luís Jardim’ at Santa Catarina Park.
Promoted by the Regional Government, through the Regional Secretariat for Inclusion, Labor and Youth, the commemorative program for May 1st, Labor Day, extends throughout the day with institutional, cultural, sporting and recreational activities decentralized throughout the Autonomous Region of Madeira.
This year, the celebrations take on added significance by associating the celebratory and spiritual dimension of the Solemn Mass of the Vow of Saint James the Less, Patron Saint of the City of Funchal, with the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Madeira Employment Institute, in a symbolic convergence that will be marked in Santa Maria Maior. This articulation between one of the oldest religious traditions of the municipality and the institutional event of significant social impact reinforces the recognition of the value of work and employment as fundamental pillars of social cohesion, and the role of work and employment in social cohesion and regional development.
The highlight of the celebrations takes place at 9 pm in Santa Catarina Park with the concert “Tribute to Luís Jardim,” a homage to the artistic and human legacy of the Madeiran music producer who became one of the most influential Portuguese personalities on the international music scene. The show starts at 9 pm in Santa Catarina Park. Admission is free for the general public, and the doors open at 6 pm.
Trevor Horn will be featured on stage. Author of the iconic hit ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’, the first music video broadcast on MTV and also the last to air on the MTV channel in Europe, on the occasion of the channel’s closure in European territory on December 31, 2025. A British producer, winner of the Grammy in 1996 for producing Seal’s album ‘Kiss from a Rose’, and founder of the duo The Buggles, Horn is recognized for his sonic innovation, compositional grandeur and artistic fusions that helped define the electronic pop and art pop of the 80s.
Considered by several music experts “the man who invented the 80s”, he is also a personal friend of Luís Jardim, and makes a point of being present on this day when, in addition to the tribute to Luís Jardim’s talent, the celebrations of Labor Day are joined.
The international dimension of the tribute intersects with national talent, through the presence of João Pedro Pais, a renowned artist in the Portuguese music scene, already considered a regular presence among the Madeiran public.
“LOCAL TALENT” ENRICHES THE LIST OF ARTISTS TAKING THE STAGE
The tribute takes on a strong regional identity, with the cast enriched by local talent composed of Madeiran artists who take the stage to give voice to this celebration.
Vânia Fernandes, Cristina Barbosa, Petra Camacho, Afonso Albuquerque, Duarte Santos, Fernando Almeida, Catarina Melim, Pedro Garcia and the artistic director of this project José Pereira (also instrumentalist and vocalist) star in an international journey through the last decades of pop and rock, crossing timeless classics by Luther Vandross, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Beatles, David Bowie and Tina Turner. There will also be more intimate moments, tributes to Portuguese music and some surprises that promise to honor the legacy of Luís Jardim.
At 12:30 pm, the Regional Secretary for Inclusion, Labor and Youth, Paula Margarido, presides over the traditional tribute to the Madeiran Worker, with the laying of flowers next to the Monument to the Madeiran Worker, on Avenida Sá Carneiro, in a symbolic gesture of recognition for all those who contribute daily to the development of the Region, in a ceremony that also includes leaders of the bodies under her tutelage and representatives of employers’ and trade union associations with a seat on the Permanent Commission for Social Dialogue of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.
OPENING OF THE MONTADO DO PEREIRO LEISURE AREA AND VARIOUS ACTIVITIES
Throughout the day, the celebrations also extend to various fronts and different points of the territory, reinforcing a decentralized and diversified program. Among the initiatives, the highlight is the athletics race “Madeira a Correr – Grande Prémio 1º de Maio”, organized by the Madeira Autonomous Region Athletics Association, in partnership with the Ribeira Brava City Council, starting next to the Church, on Regional Road 104. Commemorative football tournaments are also held, including the “Professor Eleutério d’Aguiar – 2026 Edition” Tournament, commemorating the 101st anniversary of the Clube Desportivo 1º de Maio. In parallel, between 10 am and 6 pm, the Montado do Pereiro leisure area is open to the public, with picnic spaces, providing a convivial atmosphere for families and visitors and reinforcing the popular character typical of Labor Day festivities in the Region.
