The week-long Lusofonia Festival and Cultural Week of China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries opens today in Macau. A celebration of song, dance and gastronomy, it will highlight the cultural diversity of Portuguese-speaking communities around the world, together with China. Activities will include a handicraft and art fair, exhibitions, a food festival, booths of Portuguese-speaking communities living in Macau and on the mainland, traditional art, music, dance and Portuguese games. There will also be a Lusofonia seven-a-side football tournament. The first Lusofonia Festival was held in 1998, in the Carmo area of Taipa in front of the Taipa Houses-Museum. It has grown by the year to fill a full week, with activities at various venues around the city. There will also be events in Senado Square and Iao Hon Market Square. Lusofonia is just one of many festivals to take place every year in Macau. The Macau International Music Festival has brought internationally acclaimed artists from all over the world to perform in the city for 24 years. Running for four to five weeks from early October, it is the enclave's most important cultural event. Macau Arts Festival came of age last May, celebrating its 21st anniversary. Running over four weeks, it highlights circus, dance, multimedia, music, theatre and visual arts from around the world with dozens of performances. The Macau International Fireworks Display Contest lights up the night sky over the city's outer harbour for a week every autumn.