FESTIVALS IN PORTUGAL - PORTUGAL TRAVEL DESTINATIONS

July and August are the months when Portugal traditionally receives the most visitors, and it is the time of year with the highest temperatures and when many festivals in Portugal take place, as well as other events. However, there are many reasons to visit Portugal at other times of the year, either because of the less extreme temperatures, or because of the events that take place in Portugal throughout the year.
Festivals in Portugal include religious celebrations, regional fairs, gastronomic festivals, cultural and artistic events, and even music festivals. In particular, there are hundreds of religious festivals in Portugal, because, especially in the north of Portugal, each little town or village has a religious festival.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Public and religious holydays in Portugal

Public and religious holidays mark the main events in Portugal during the year. Experiencing these special seasons will definitely be an asset for your trip in Portugal, as some of them are great opportunities to experience festivals in Portugal.

New Year’s Day (January 1). The first day of the year is a public holiday in Portugal. Stores and markets are closed and people rest from New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Epiphany (January 6). The “Day of Kings” recalls the visit and adoration of the Three Wise Men to Jesus Christ. In Portugal, it is the day that “bolo-rei“, a traditional crownshaped cake, is traditionally eaten, although it is also eaten at Christmas. In many places in Portugal, groups of people play and sing at the doors of houses to ask for donations, similar to the tradition of “janeiras”, which happens on New Year’s Day.
Holy week (March/April). This is a very special season for festivals in Portugal, with religious processions taking place all over the country. In small towns it is still possible to attend the “Easter Visit”, “visita pascal“, when the local procession goes inside people’s homes.
Freedom Day (April 25). The initial day of democracy in Portugal and now a public holiday, commemorating the 1974 military and popular revolution (“Carnation Revolution”) that overtook the fascist regime that had been ruling Portugal since 1926.
Labor Day (May 1). This is a public holiday in Portugal, and there are usually demonstrations organized by labor unions and political parties.
Portugal Day (June 10). This is a public holiday, and officially known as the day of Portugal, Camões (the poet) and the Portuguese Communities. It celebrates the 10 June 1580, the date of the death of Luís de Camões, the greatest poet in Portuguese history.
Republic Day (October 5) – Public holiday celebrating the establishment of the Republican Regime in 1910.
All Saints’ Day (November 1) – Religious holiday that celebrates all the saints and martyrs in the history of the Catholic Church. On this day, it is also celebrated in advance the Day of the Dead (November 2), and throughout the country many Portuguese people visit cemeteries and pay homage to deceased family members.
Restoration Day (December 1) – Public holiday celebrating the restoration of independence of Portugal from Spain, after 60 years of Spanish rule (1580-1640).
Christmas Day (December 25) – The most important religious holiday in Portugal, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas Eve is the most privileged time of the year for family gatherings. There are also other religious holidays throughout the year such as the Corpus Christi Day (June), the Assumption Day (August 15) and the Immaculate Conception Day (December 8).
New Year’s Eve (December 31) – There are celebrations all over the country, with great fireworks, but perhaps the most popular party is the New Year celebrations in Funchal (Madeira).

Festivals in Portugal throughout the year

Below we present some of the biggest festivals in Portugal, and other events, throughout the year, so that you can plan and make the most of your trip in Portugal, at any time of the year.

Festivals in Portugal in January

Caretos de Podence, Boys’ Feasts (Bragança) – Originating in the pagan rituals that celebrated the winter solstice, the Boys’ Feasts are initiation rituals that the Catholic Church brought to the Christian calendar. Today, in several villages around Bragança (Aveleda, Varge, Gimonde, Lazarim) it is possible to watch these curious cultural events, and admire the rituals and colorful costumes of the participants. The most famous festival is the Caretos de Podence, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2019. Festivities happen during the day, but also at night. It’s one of the most curious festivals in Portugal.
Feira do Fumeiro, Smoked Meat Fair (Montalegre) – It is the best place to get to know and taste the smoked pork meat from Trás-os-Montes, and at the best time of year for that.

February

Fantasporto, International Film Festival (Porto) – It is the largest film festival in Portugal, usually running from mid-February to mid-March, and is dedicated to fantastic and horror cinema. For fans of the genre. It’s one of the most important cultural festivals in Portugal.
Feira do Queijo, Cheese Fair (Seia) – An excellent fair to get to know one of the most appreciated Portuguese regional products in Portugal and abroad, the “Serra da Estrela” buttery cheese.

Festivals in Portugal in March

Carnival of Torres Vedras (Torres Vedras) – Carnival is one of the most popular festivals in Portugal, in February or March. Although the influence of Brazilian carnival is felt in the costumes and in the lack of clothes (although in Portugal it is winter!), there are still many traditional Carnival festivals in Portugal. Traditionally, in the portuguese carnival, the political and social situation is satirized in the parades of people and cars, the most famous being the Torres Vedras carnival.
International Chocolate Festival (Óbidos) – The beautiful walled village of Óbidos is, at this time of the year, the main meeting point for chocolate lovers in Portugal.
Feira do Fumeiro, Smoked Meat Fair (Vinhais) – One of the largest and the oldest Smoke Meat Fair in the country. It is there that you can buy sausages, cheeses, and regional handicrafts, all of the best quality.

April

Semana Santa de Braga, Braga Holy Week (March or April) – The celebration of Easter, which recalls the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is one of the most special times of the year in Portugal, particularly between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Braga is the religious “capital” of Portugal, so it is the place to watch all things happening. It’s one of the most important religious festivals in Portugal.

May

Queima das Fitas, Burning of the Ribbons (Coimbra) – In the most famous university city in Portugal, the celebrations of the academic week are the most popular festivals in Coimbra, and one of the most important festivals in Portugal. The Queima das Fitas ceremony started in the 1950s, and the cotton ribbons used to tie the folders where the students kept the books were burned. Today, the procession, the serenade and the music concerts attract thousands of visitors every year.
Festa da Flor, Flower Festival (Madeira) – Traditionally held in spring, this festival celebrates the arrival of spring and flowers and is a showcase of curious arts such as the manufacture of flower rugs. It’s one of the most curious festivals in Portugal.
Celebrações de Fátima, Fatima celebrations (May 12-13) – Although they are not official holidays, Fatima celebrations are the most fervorous religious manifestation in Portugal, traditionally gathering hundreds of thousands of people. May is the most important month, celebrating the first of the 1917 apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three children. It’s one of the most important religious festivals in Portugal and in the world.
Festas do Senhor Santo Cristo, Festivities of Christ Lord (Ponta Delgada) – The procession of Senhor Santo Cristo, originating in 1713, is the largest Azorean religious manifestation, and is celebrated on the fifth Sunday after Easter. The venerated statue dates back to the 16th century and the Treasury of Senhor Santo Cristo is considered one of the most precious sacred treasures in Portugal. It’s one of the most traditional religious festivals in Portugal.

Festivals in Portugal in June

June is the month of the main festivals of the popular saints (São João, Santo António, São Pedro), and they correspond to ancient pagan rituals related to the celebration of the Summer Solstice. Today, as in the past, summer and the joy of living are celebrated with lots of music, sardines and wine. The main festivals in Portugal in June are:

Festas de São João, Festivities of Saint John (Porto or Braga) – Crowds on the streets celebrate São João night (23/24 June) in the two main cities in the north of Portugal. In Porto, the (plastic) hammers and the launch of paper balloons are famous.
Festas de Santo António, Festivities of Saint Anthony (Lisbon) – On the night of Santo António (12/13 June), the neighborhoods of Lisbon dress up and compete in the Popular Marches, and the portuguese capital has more character than ever.
Festas Sanjoaninas, Sanjoaninas Festivities (Angra do Heroísmo) – On the island of Terceira, in the Azores, the Festivities in honor of São João are the festivities of the city and attract more and more visitors.
Rock in Rio (Lisbon) – There are many music festivals in Portugal, but this one is different. Probably the biggest music festival in the world, Rock in Rio started in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 1985, but has had several editions in Lisbon. The next one is happening this year (June 2024)!

July

Festa dos Tabuleiros, Festival of the Trays (Tomar) – The Festa dos Tabuleiros is the most important celebration in the city of Tomar, and one of the biggest festivals in Portugal. It takes place every 4 years, at the beginning of July. It’s one of the most curious festivals in Portugal.
NOS Alive (Lisbon) – One of the biggest musical festivals in Portugal.

Festivals in Portugal in August

August is a special month for festivals in Portugal, because it is the month in which thousands of emmigrants spend their vacations in their home country. The main festivals in Portugal in August are:

Romaria de Nossa Senhora D’Agonia, Pilgrimage of Our Lady of Agony (Viana do Castelo) – The pilgrimage of Senhora da Agonia (patron saint of local fishermen) dates back to 1783 and is one of the largest Portuguese religious festivals. The Viana festivals are a symbol of the region and attract thousands of people to this coastal city in the north of Portugal. It’s one of the most important religious festivals in Portugal.
MEO Sudoeste (Odemira, Zambujeira do Mar) – One of the biggest summer music festivals in Portugal, in the first half of August.
Festival do Marisco, Shellfish Festival (Olhão) – The best gastronomic festival in the Algarve celebrates seafood from Portuguese waters and popular music.
Festival Paredes de Coura – With more than 20 years of history, the Paredes de Coura festival is one of the oldest summer music festivals in Portugal and takes place in a beautiful river beach setting.

September

Festas de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, Feasts of Our Lady of Remedies (Lamego) – Known as “The Pilgrimage of Portugal”, it is the most important festival in the city and one of the most important religious festivals in Portugal, from the last Thursday of August until the 9th of September.
Feira de São Mateus, Saint Matthew Fair (Viseu) – The largest popular fair in central Portugal, with sports and cultural programming during the month of September, and is the heir to the old Feira Franca de Viseu, created in 1392.
Festa do Avante!, Go Forward Party! (Amora, Seixal) – It is the main event of a political party in Portugal, in this case the Portuguese communist party. But political ideology gives way to a lot of joy, music and fun at this party that attracts young and not so young people from across the political spectrum. It’s one of the most important popular festivals in Portugal.

Festivals in Portugal in October

Celebrações de Fátima, Fatima celebrations (Fátima) – Other important dates of the Fatima celebrations (besides May) are the 13th of June (the “Procession of Candles”, on June 12, is one the the truly inspirational religious festivals in Portugal), the 13th of July (third apparition, day of the “secret of Fatima”) and 13th of October (sixth and last apparition, day of the “miracle of the sun”). On October 13, 1917, more than ten thousand people witnessed the sun “dancing”, something that even today is not possible to explain as a natural event.

November

Feira da Castanha, Chestnut Fair (Marvão) – It is the biggest party of this wonderful walled village, and it discloses the handicrafts and gastronomy of the region, with exhibitions, competitions, and, of course, the chestnut, a traditional product of the region.
Festa da vinha e do vinho, Vine and wine festival (Borba) – This festival is over 25 years old, a place where wine and viticulture are celebrated for nine days, as well as regional Alentejo cuisine.

Festivals in Portugal in December

Festas Nicolinas, Students’ Feasts (Guimarães) – The student feasts in the birthplace of Portugal, between the end of November and the beginning of December, are a series of different events that gather crowds in the beautiful town of Guimarães. It’s one of the most traditional festivals in Portugal.