Focusing the case of Bairro Alto, Lisbon, this paper analyzes the challenges faced by cultural districts at the light of the evolving geographies of underground music scenes. The centrality of reputation building mechanisms and symbolic aspects in the sustainability of these areas’ creative ambience and economic value creation is particularly considered. Drawing upon a conceptual framework that combines spatiality (agglomeration effects) and territoriality (creative milieus) to read art worlds, the paper proposes a typology of “spaces” which structure the alternative music scene. At the light of this typology, the evolution of underground music scenes at Bairro Alto is analyzed, discussing the conditions for its resilience. It is argued that the trends for mainstreaming and gentrification of the area, in parallel with technological and economic re-composition of this industry, challenge the role of this territory in several of the scene’s “spaces”, though keeping its centrality on “spaces” related with gatekeeping, conviviality and more specialized functions. After a brief introduction, a conceptual framing of the discussion held on the paper is presented, including the proposition of a specific analytical instrumental to analyse the underground music scene, in what concerns to the spatial relations of the several functions provided in this art world. In section 3, the specific situation of Bairro Alto is briefly discussed. This area’s general evolution and its particular conditions for the development of a cultural district are presented as well as the main transformation and challenges that the area is facing today. Section 4 provides the specific analysis of the underground music scenes at Bairro Alto, applying the proposed analytical framework, and identifying the different territorial mechanisms associated to the diverse functions within this art world, while inquiring the conditions for its sustainability in this part of town. Finally, a brief concluding note wraps up this analysis, pointing out some challenges to this relation between music scenes and cultural districts.

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Cultural districts, Creative Milieu, Urban Scenes, Underground Music Scenes, Bairro Alto