The 1 December Gala Concert (also known as the Concert of Portugal, the Restoration and National Independence) originated as an initiative of the 1 December Movement and is now organised by the Historical Society of the Independence of Portugal as part of the National Commemorations of 1 December in Lisbon, of which it forms the opening event. It was the brainchild of José Ribeiro e Castro, then founder and general coordinator of the 1 December Movement, which was launched in 2012 to champion the national holiday of 1 December and enhance the commemorations of this historic date.

In 2013, the first edition of this concert took place in the grand hall of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, featuring a chamber orchestra: the Camerata Amicis, conducted by Maestro Carlos Silva.

Subsequently, it was decided to move to a large-scale stage production, entrusting the performance of the Concerto to the Navy Band, conducted by Commander (Musician) Délio Gonçalves. In 2015, it took place in the Grand Auditorium of the Belém Cultural Centre and, in 2016, at the Trindade Theatre, followed by a further hiatus due to a lack of a suitable venue and, in 2020, because of the pandemic. The concert returned in 2021, this time to the Capitólio Cinema Theatre, where it was held again in 2022 and 2023. In the 2015 and 2022 editions, the concert was conducted by First Lieutenant (Music) José Veloso and Second Lieutenant (Music) Samuel Pascoal respectively, both of whom are also members of the Navy Band.

The concert consists solely of works by Portuguese composers, paying tribute to the spirit, freedom and independence of Portugal, to mark the commemoration of the Restoration of 1640.

The aspiration and dream of the 1 December Movement (and, today, of the Historical Society of Portuguese Independence) was to gradually establish, through the Concert of Portugal, the Restoration and National Independence, on 1 December, a tradition which, over the years, would become as strong and as charismatic as the famous New Year’s Concert, which premiered in 1939 and is performed every 1 January by the Vienna Philharmonic at the Musikverein in the Austrian capital. To achieve this aim, it is essential that the performance is always given by the same orchestra (the Navy Band), on the same day and in the same concert hall (conditions that have finally been met since 2024). Initially, the format was that of a short concert, lasting one hour without an interval, held in the late afternoon, always concluding in the same festive and solemn manner. The finale aims to draw the audience in with a crescendo: the Sailors’ March, the Hymn of the Restoration (played instrumentally and then sung by the audience) and the National Anthem.