The Portugal Netball Festival returned to Lisbon on 7 and 8 November 2026, bringing together 12 teams from Portugal and the United Kingdom for a full weekend of competition, shared experiences and some remarkably close finishes.
Organised by Move Sports and Netball Portugal, the tournament welcomed 138 athletes, with seven teams travelling from the United Kingdom and five representing Portugal.
Across two days, the festival delivered 62 matches and 31 hours of netball, supported by six umpires and a 20-person staff team.
With November weather in Lisbon often unpredictable, the competition took place across two indoor sports halls, allowing the schedule to run smoothly regardless of conditions outside.
Starting each day together
Before the first matches began, both mornings started in a very different way from the competitive action that followed.
Players from the participating teams came together for a group warm-up built around a choreographed routine.
It was a simple part of the programme, but one that immediately set the tone for the day. Before teams became opponents on court, everyone shared the same space, moved together and started the morning with a relaxed and fun atmosphere.
That balance between competition and enjoyment remained visible throughout the weekend.
A tournament where different generations shared the same court
One of the most distinctive aspects of this year’s Portugal Netball Festival was the range of ages represented across the teams.
Some squads included players in their 20s alongside women in their 60s, all competing within the same tournament and, in some cases, within the same team.
That mix of generations gave the event a character that went beyond results.
Younger and older players shared the court, the sidelines and the same competitive moments, showing how netball can remain part of someone’s sporting life across very different stages of adulthood.
The contrast in age did not reduce the intensity of the matches. If anything, it added to the atmosphere. Experience, game awareness, energy and different playing styles came together within the same competition.
It also reinforced one of netball’s strongest qualities: its capacity to be inclusive without losing its competitive edge.
Sport is often discussed in terms of progression towards higher performance, but participation does not have to end once someone moves beyond a particular age group. Events such as the Portugal Netball Festival show that competition, enjoyment and team sport can continue for decades.
Seeing players separated by several generations competing side by side was one of the clearest examples of that over the weekend.
62 matches, 12 teams and two very close finals
The tournament brought together teams with different levels of experience and different competitive ambitions, but by Sunday the attention had turned firmly to the final stages.
The Plate Final was won by Manchester Flames, while Albufeira All Stars claimed the Cup Final and overall Top 6 title.
Both finals were decided by just one point.
That narrow margin created some of the most intense moments of the weekend, with players and supporters from the other teams gathering around the courts and backing their favourites through the final possessions.
The tension was real, but so was the atmosphere around it.
Even in the closest matches, the competition remained light, respectful and sporting. Smiles and laughter were common between teams, including those directly competing against one another, and the intensity of the final scoreboards never translated into hostility.
That combination of competitiveness and good humour became one of the defining features of the weekend.
Final standings
The 2026 Portugal Netball Festival finished with the following overall classification:
Albufeira All Stars
Lisboa Leoas
Portugoals
Goal Diggers
Stella
After Shots
Manchester Flames
Astra
Silver Coast Sirens
Nova
Lisboa Leopardas
Tavira Leoas
For Albufeira All Stars, first place came after a one-point victory in the Cup Final. Manchester Flames ended the weekend in seventh overall, but with the Plate Final title secured in another match decided by a “golden score” after extra time could not separate the teams.
More than what happened on court
The sporting programme was the centre of the weekend, but the impact of an international event extends beyond the matches themselves.
The seven visiting English teams generated 236 hotel nights in the Lisbon region, adding a tourism dimension to a tournament that already brought together players from two different national netball communities.
For many participants, the weekend was therefore not only about results. It also meant travelling with teammates, spending time together away from the usual routine and sharing the experience with clubs they would not normally meet in domestic competition.
This is one of the reasons international sports events create a different type of atmosphere from a standard league fixture.
The competition matters, but so do the conversations between matches, the support from the sidelines, the group warm-ups, the celebrations and the moments that continue after the final whistle.
A festival in the truest sense
The word “festival” suited the weekend.
There were trophies to compete for and matches decided by a single point, but there was also a sense that the experience mattered as much as the final table.
Across 62 matches, teams competed seriously while keeping the atmosphere friendly and relaxed. Players supported one another, opponents shared laughs between games, and the busiest moments of the finals brought almost everyone together around the courts.
The wide age range across the teams added another layer to that experience. Players shared the same competition, reinforcing the idea that netball can remain a social, competitive and enjoyable sport throughout adult life.
By Sunday evening, Albufeira All Stars had lifted the Cup, Manchester Flames had won the Plate, and 12 teams had completed two full days of netball in Lisbon.
But the strongest impression left by the 2026 Portugal Netball Festival was not simply who finished where.
It was the way the competition was played, and how many different people it brought together.