More than a surfing festival, Gliding Barnacles is a unique meeting place where surfing, music, art, photography, painting, gastronomy and culture come together. The waves are the starting point, but it is the diversity of experiences and people that gives the festival its identity: surfers, artists, musicians, photographers, chefs, local residents and visitors share the same space, creating a spontaneous, open and intergenerational atmosphere.

Through surfboards, concerts, exhibitions, artistic creations, food and conversation, the festival establishes a particularly strong connection between contemporary culture and the maritime identity of Figueira da Foz, Portugal.