Lisbon Salon
Conversation, culture, and shared presence in the city.
A hosted weekend of conversations, shared meals, and cultural moments
Lisbon — November 13–15, 2026
Fewer than 20 places remain
On this salon
The Lisbon Salon brings together a small group for two days and evenings of conversation and shared company. It is designed for those who value exchange that is thoughtful but unforced — where discussion moves naturally, and connection develops without choreography.
This is not a conference or a retreat. Participants remain embedded in the city, moving between shared moments and personal space, allowing Lisbon itself to remain part of the experience.
Lisbon as host
Lisbon offers contrast: light and shadow, movement and pause, history layered into daily life. The salon unfolds across carefully chosen venues — cafés, cultural spaces, and gathering rooms selected for character rather than spectacle.
The city is never background. It shapes the tone of conversation, the pace of the days, and the feeling of arrival and departure.
Shape of the weekend
The salon opens on Friday evening with a welcome gathering and shared dinner.
Saturday moves between guided conversation, time in the city, and a longer evening together — allowing discussion to continue across settings and moods.
Sunday concludes late morning, leaving space for departure, return, or lingering in Lisbon.
The weekend is structured, but never dense.
Presence is encouraged. Rest is respected.
Contributors
The Lisbon Salon includes a small group of invited contributors whose work centers conversation, culture, and reflection.
Paul Burston — writer and cultural curator
David McAlmont — musician and host
Ebrahim ElMoly — ceramicist and guest artist
Paul McVeigh — writer and facilitator
Each brings a distinct way of holding space — through conversation, creative practice, or attentive presence.
Practical details
Dates: November 13–15, 2026
Group size: Intentionally limited
Accommodation: Boutique hotel in central Lisbon
Meals: All meals during the salon included
Participation: By registration.
The Cartography of Belonging Itinerary
An intimate weekend of conversation, art, and shared discovery—set within Lisbon, a city shaped by layered histories, reinvention, and quiet forms of belonging.
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15:00–16:30
Salon Arrivals & Check-inGuests arrive, settle in, and begin transitioning into the shared rhythm of the Salon.
16:30–19:00
Welcome and Opening Gathering
Hosted by David McAlmontDavid formally opens the Salon, introducing the spirit of the weekend and guiding the first shared conversation. This opening establishes the tone—intimate, reflective, and grounded in presence.
19:00–21:30
Evening BreakTime to rest, reflect, or explore Lisbon at your own pace.
21:30 onward
Welcome DinnerThe first shared meal together—where conversation begins to deepen and the group begins to take shape.
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Morning
Breakfast (at your own pace)
10:00–12:00
Where Have You Belonged?
Led by Paul Burston and Paul McVeighA guided exploration of memory, identity, and the places—physical or emotional—that have shaped each of us.
12:30–14:00
Mapping in Blue
With Ebrahim ElMolyGuests contribute to a shared artistic work that will evolve across the weekend, alongside written reflections shaped by the conversations and experiences of the Salon.
Afternoon
Lunch
16:00–18:00
Rooms That Held UsA continuation of the shared exploration—examining the spaces, moments, and encounters that formed how we understand ourselves and how we are seen.
Evening
Time for rest, reflection, or informal connection
21:00–23:30
Closing DinnerA final shared table—celebratory, reflective, and open.
Late Evening (Optional)
Informal exploration of Lisbon’s nightlife at Finalemente -
Breakfast
10:00–11:00
The Azulejo TapestryThe unveiling of the collaborative artwork and written reflections created across the weekend. Like an azulejo tapestry—formed from individual tiles into a unified whole—this moment reveals how individual presence becomes collective expression.
11:00–12:00
Departures
For those arriving early
Some participants choose to arrive in Lisbon a day ahead of the salon.
For those who do, Glainne will host an optional, intimate walking experience exploring the city’s layered queer history — offered as a gentle way to arrive, meet one another, and settle into the weekend together.
Participation is optional. Details are shared separately.
Explore participation
The Lisbon Salon is offered as a chapter — a moment of gathering shaped by place, people, and time.
Those who join do so not for spectacle or outcome, but for the pleasure of being present together.