On December 14, 2024, Mensagem decided to step off the screen and bring the stories that moved and impacted the city to the stage of Teatro São Luiz, in a format unprecedented in Portugal: live journalism. That day, Mensagem ao Vivo was born.
Over the course of eight consecutive, sold-out editions, we brought Lisbon and its true stories to the stage of the Winter Garden (Bernardo Sassetti Hall) at São Luiz, in Chiado. More than 180 participants took to the stage, facing an audience of over 900 spectators.
We heard the story of a street sweeper who writes books; a former prostitute who serves feijoada at Christmas; a man who was imprisoned and found himself through rap; the widow of Portugal’s greatest guitarist; a singer who reinvented himself by telling the stories of anonymous people who made April happen; a rapper who makes a living singing on trains.
All stories told in the first person, with grain in the voice and sometimes hesitations. But always authentic. Interviews, poetry, live music, theatre… and even a number from a musical created especially by the Teatro Apriori group to tell the story of their lives trying to make the genre in Portugal.
We shared tears (for example, when Tibunga told us what it was like to grow up in Cova da Moura, in Amadora, and today walk the runways for Gucci, Prada, and Louis Vuitton) and laughter (for example, when Pedro das Neves lightened the emotional weight of his forbidden love story with Soraia, a Romani woman, and raised an old yellow Nokia with transparent keys to recount some of the escapades).
We learned more about the history of the city where we live, stroll, and work: that Lisbon does have an accent, yes (as Marco Neves reminded us). In the “time of Maria Cachucha,” as he puts it—or rather, 50,000 years ago—Lisbon already had several languages… coming from all over the world. Like Greek, perhaps? “It’s only in the last 200 years that we’ve started to believe each territory should have just one language.” And that Lisbon… has no accent.
It wasn’t only our view of the city that changed. In the session on June 21, 2025, we also changed the stage layout of the Bernardo Sassetti Hall, building a ramp to make it more accessible for participants who use wheelchairs. We were inspired by Marta Canário, who took the stage that day to deliver a raw, unflinching account of her life in a city she often feels is pushing her out.
The stories were also captured in illustrations… created live. By Nuno Saraiva and Zhou Yi. See here:
Ilustração da 1ª edição pelo Nuno Saraiva 
Ilustração da 2ª edição pelo Nuno Saraiva 
Ilustração da 3ª edição pelo Zhou Yi 
Ilustração da 4ª edição pelo Zhou Yi 
Ilustração da 6ª edição pelo Zhou Yi 
Ilustração da 6ª edição pelo Nuno Saraiva 
Ilustração da 6ª edição pelo Nuno Saraiva 
Ilustração da 6ª edição pelo Nuno Saraiva 
Ilustração da 6ª edição pelo Nuno Saraiva 
Ilustração da 6ª edição pelo Nuno Saraiva 
Ilustração da 7ª edição pelo Zhou Yi
The live journalism model is growing across Europe and the world, but we still stand out by our difference: we are the only mapped live journalism project that always brings the protagonists of the stories onto the stage.
Testemonials
“I found it extremely interesting; I loved all the stories. I follow your work of making known the positive stories, the good stories that exist in a city. In these dark times we’re living through, that is very important.”
Testimonial by Helena Cabeçadas, audience member
“Congratulations on another Mensagem ao Vivo (to everyone involved). It’s where I recharge my faith in Humanity ❤️”
Luisa Medina, Instagram
“Mensagem ao Vivo is as unexpected as it is essential. At a time when the sense of belonging is systematically destroyed—by logics of isolation, the commodification of life, and the erosion of bonds, by reactionary narratives—listening to our community becomes a political act. We need to demystify and listen to invisible stories, emerging ideas, inspiring lives, work or associations that add value. To understand that we belong. To belong in order to understand.”
Pedro Campos Costa, architect and audience member
“I wanted to have hugged the man sitting next to me who cried at the same moments as I did. I wanted to tell him that I’d like to get to know him and hear his story, but I’m too shy.”
Testimonial from an audience member, published on Instagram
The team
Editorial and stage coordination: Ana da Cunha and Catarina Reis
Production: Ana Narciso and Maria Maia
Communication: Rafaela Boita and Joana César
Video and photos: Inês Leote, Stephen O’Regan, and Vasco Leão
Illustrations: Nuno Saraiva and Zhou Yi
Stories, ideas, and curation: Ferreira Fernandes, Álvaro Filho, Inês Leote, Frederico Raposo, and the entire Mensagem de Lisboa team
Support and sponsorships: Ana Rocha de Paiva
Teatro Municipal São Luiz: Miguel Loureiro, Tiza Gonçalves, Marta Azenha, Marta Pedroso, Sara Garrinhas, Mafalda Simões, Mafalda Santos, João Nunes, Ana Ferreira
Direction: Catarina Carvalho
