Despensas – The Tradition of Rabo de Peixe is a photobook by Rubén Monfort Meseguer about the traditional dances of Rabo de Peixe, an ancestral performative ritual unique to Portugal.

This publication brings together photographs taken in 2018 that document the entire process of this tradition, from the preparations to the main days of the festivities.

The images are accompanied by two texts written by António Pedro Lopes and António Pedro Costa.

The presentation of the photobook will include a discussion on the importance of preserving traditions of this kind and on ways to prevent their crystallization, allowing them to continue evolving alongside society.

The publication team consists of the Despensas do Mar e da Terra de Rabo de Peixe, Sérgio Couto, António Pedro Lopes, António Pedro Costa, Araucaria Edições, Filipa André, Esther Moya, Natália Azevedo, Helena Barros, ACAPO Açores, Tânia Moniz, Aviva Obst, and Mariana Medeiros.

The project is funded by the Portuguese Republic, the Directorate-General for the Arts (DGArtes), the Government of the Azores, EDA Renováveis, Cooperativa A Ponte Norte, the Municipality of Ribeira Grande, the PARES Programme of Anda&Fala – Associação Cultural, and Ponta Delgada Portuguese Capital of Culture 2026.

PDL26 Promoters: Municipality of Ponta Delgada, Coliseu Micaelense.

PDL26 Co-financing: Açores 2030, Government of the Azores, Portugal 2030.

Co-financed by: European Commission.

PDL26 Institutional Partners: Portuguese Republic, Turismo de Portugal.

Support for PDL26: SATA Azores Airlines.