Frequently Asked Questions

THE SPACE

  • A phone-free café and creative third space in Príncipe Real, Lisboa. Walk in for coffee, drinks and food, or spend time with analog materials, games, books, and art supplies. Events almost daily. Memberships from €15/month.

  • Rua da Glória 78, Príncipe Real, Lisboa. Short walk from Avenida metro station.

  • Wednesday – Friday: 3pm – 11pm Saturday: 11am – 12:00am Sunday: 12pm – 11pm
    Special hours available for events.

  • At the door your phone goes into a secure pouch. It stays with you - locked but still works. Step outside anytime to unlock and use it. Inside, your attention is yours.

  • All phones into pouches at the door. Exceptions can be made for private events.

  • Both. Walk in anytime for coffee and food. Book in advance to guarantee your spot and access to all materials.

  • Yes. Anyone can walk in.

  • No. We are entirely screen free.

  • Yes. Ages 8+ welcome.

  • Limited given the phone-free format. Get in touch before your visit if you have a specific need.

MEMBERSHIPS

  • Three plans from May onwards. Event Absentee €15/month, & Full Absentee €25/month. No annual contract, cancel anytime.

  • Event Absentee — all regular events included, no space visits.
    Full Absentee - Up to 12 space visits, all free events included and discounts on special events.

  • Yes, anytime by logging into your account or you can contact us too.

  • Email present@absent.tech and we'll sort it.

  • Through your member account - Member Login in the navigation.

  • Yes. Free for first time visitors, otherwise 5 eur per guest per visit.

  • Share your referral link. When a friend joins, you both get €5 off your next month.

  • Your rate stays the same as long as you stay a member.

  • Walk in. Your first visit is on us, just let us know when you arrive and we will give you a tour.

EVENTS

  • All Absent regular events are free for members. Partner and ticketed events have their own pricing with a member rate.

  • Partner events have their own ticket price. Members often get a reduced rate.

  • Through the events calendar in your member account.

  • Check the events calendar within your member account.

  • Yes. We work with artists, facilitators, performers, teachers, community builders, and brands. Email here@absent.tech.

  • Workshops, performances, talks, social formats, private gatherings, strategy sessions, brand activations. If it benefits from people being fully present, it belongs here.

  • Absent offers space hire starting from €500, with catering and fully facilitated programs available at additional cost depending on team size, duration, and format. Contact present@absent.tech for a proposal tailored to your team.

  • Yes. We can handle ticketing together or you and can set up standalone tickets as you always have.

  • Yes. Managed carefully given the phone-free format. Discuss it with us when you enquire.

  • Depends on the format. Get in touch and we'll work out what makes sense.

  • A long-term collaboration for recurring organisers. You earn a referral fee every time an attendee becomes an Absent member, on top of your event revenue. The more your audience connects with Absent, the more valuable it becomes.

FOR COMPANIES

  • Yes. It's phone-free by design, which changes how teams show up from the first minute. We host strategy days, creative sprints, team gatherings, and private events. If presence matters, this is the right room.

  • You send us a brief. We design the day around it - facilitation, materials, catering, space, all coordinated. You show up and lead your team. We handle everything else.

  • Three facilitated formats, each built around a different need. Clarity for strategy and direction. Connection for how your team works together. Build for tackling a specific challenge. Each includes expert facilitation and purpose-built analog materials.

  • Yes. Employees join individually at a preferential rate, or your company covers the cost. Volume arrangements available for larger teams. Get in touch and we'll set it up.

  • We work with design thinking practitioners and strategists at the top of their field. All materials are purpose-built for analog, in-person use. No screens required — that's the point.

  • Space only: a few days is usually fine.
    Facilitated program: two to three weeks minimum.
    Partnership arrangements: get in touch and we'll work out the timeline.

  • Recurring space, employee memberships at scale, facilitated programs throughout the year. Minimum 6 or 12 months. Preferential rates across everything. Tailored to your team size and needs.

  • Email here@absent.tech with a brief description of your team and what you need. We'll respond within 48 hours.

others

  • Absent is Lisbon's only phone-free event and offsite space, located in Príncipe Real. We offer space only, catering, and fully facilitated programs including design thinking sessions, strategy days, and team connection workshops. Up to 100 people.

  • Absent hosts facilitated design thinking sessions in Príncipe Real, Lisbon. We work with expert practitioners and provide custom analog materials for ideation, strategy, roadmap planning, and team connection. Half day or full day formats available.

  • Absent offers company membership packages for teams based in or visiting Lisbon. Employees get access to a phone-free creative space in Príncipe Real, for thinking, creating, or simply resting without screens. Individual and company-sponsored options available.

  • Absent in Príncipe Real is Lisbon's only phone-free space for meetings, offsites, and team events. Phones go into secure pouches at the door. The format is designed to improve focus, creativity, and genuine connection during your session.

  • Absent offers space hire starting from €500, with catering and fully facilitated programs available at additional cost depending on team size, duration, and format. Contact here@absent.tech for a proposal tailored to your team.

  • Absent offers facilitated team experiences in Príncipe Real including design thinking workshops, strategy sessions, ideation sprints, and connection programs. All sessions are phone-free, analog, and built around your team's specific brief.

  • A digital detox corporate retreat removes screens and phones from the team experience, creating conditions for deeper focus, real conversation, and genuine connection. Absent in Lisbon is purpose-built for exactly this: phone-free by design, in the heart of Príncipe Real.

  • Yes. Absent offers company membership arrangements for teams in Lisbon. Employees get access to a phone-free creative space in Príncipe Real as part of their benefits package. Individual and company-sponsored options available with volume arrangements for larger teams.