Portugal Festivals Calendar: Month by Month

Portugal loves a festival: street parties with grilled sardines, medieval fairs, religious processions, music festivals, harvest celebrations and spectacular New Year fireworks. Here’s a month-by-month calendar of the best festivals and events in Portugal, so you can plan your trip around them (or avoid the crowds).

Quick answer: the big ones are Carnival (February), Easter in Braga, Fátima (12–13 May and October), the Santos Populares (Lisbon 12–13 June, Porto 23–24 June), NOS Alive (July), the Douro harvest (September), São Martinho (11 November), Christmas villages and New Year’s Eve in Lisbon and Madeira. Exact dates change each year, so check before you book.

How to use this calendar

Some dates are fixed by the church or by tradition, like 13 June or 11 November. Others move each year, so we give confirmed dates where they’ve been announced and the usual month where they haven’t. Always check the organiser’s website before you book travel.

January and February

• Almond blossom (late January to February): the Algarve’s inland hills turn white and pink. Alta Mora, in the hills of Castro Marim, holds a small almond blossom festival with guided walks, usually on a weekend in early February (6 to 8 February in 2026).
• Carnival (February): parades in Loulé, Torres Vedras and Ovar, and in Madeira. Torres Vedras is the most irreverent, with satirical floats and men dressed as women. In 2027, Carnival Tuesday is 9 February.
• Fantasporto, Porto (late February to early March): a long-running fantasy film festival. In 2027 it runs from 26 February to 7 March.

March to May

• Chocolate Festival, Óbidos (usually March): chocolate sculptures and stalls inside the town walls, open on weekends (Friday to Sunday). In 2026 it ran from 6 to 22 March. See Óbidos.
• Easter (Semana Santa): Braga’s night processions in Holy Week are the most impressive in Portugal (Easter is 28 March 2027). See Braga and Easter in Portugal.
• 25 April: Freedom Day, celebrating the 1974 Carnation Revolution, with a parade down Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon. It’s a public holiday.
• Madeira Flower Festival: in 2027 it runs from 29 April to 30 May, with flower parades in Funchal on 2 and 16 May and floral displays across the city. See our Flower Festival guide.
• Queima das Fitas, Porto (early May): the student festival, with a serenade on the Avenida dos Aliados and a big parade. In 2026 it ran from 2 to 9 May.
• Fátima pilgrimage (12–13 May): hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, with a candlelit procession on the night of the 12th. See Fátima.
• Queima das Fitas, Coimbra (mid to late May): a week-long student festival with a parade and concerts. It opens with a midnight serenade at the Old Cathedral (21 May in 2026). See Coimbra.
• Lisbon Book Fair (usually late May to mid-June): hundreds of stalls in Parque Eduardo VII, with late opening. In 2027 it runs from 26 May to 13 June.

June to August

• Santo António, Lisbon (12–13 June): sardines, parades on Avenida da Liberdade and street parties in Alfama on the night of the 12th. Street stalls run through most of June. See Alfama.
• São João, Porto (23–24 June): all-night party with plastic hammers, grilled sardines and fireworks over the Douro at midnight.
• NOS Alive (8–10 July 2027, Algés): one of Europe’s top music festivals, on the riverside just west of Lisbon.
• Festa dos Tabuleiros, Tomar (3–12 July 2027): held only every four years. Women carry tall trays of bread and flowers on their heads in a huge procession, usually on the final Sunday. Tomar voted in April 2026 to go ahead; check the final programme. See Tomar.
• MEO Marés, Leça da Palmeira (mid-July): the festival once called Marés Vivas, now by the beach in Matosinhos, just north of Porto. In 2027 it runs from 16 to 18 July.
• Medieval Market, Óbidos (usually mid to late July): jousting, falconry, music and food stalls inside the walls. Paid entry. In 2026 it ran from 16 to 26 July.
• Medieval Fair, Silves (August): nine days of re-enactments around the castle. In 2026 it ran from 7 to 15 August. See Silves.
• Romaria d’Agonia, Viana do Castelo (mid to late August): processions, traditional dress and gold jewellery, and streets carpeted with flowers. In 2026 the main programme ran from 15 to 23 August. See Viana.

See Portugal in summer.

September to November

• The Douro harvest (usually September to early October): some quintas let visitors pick grapes or join a foot-treading session. See Douro wine tours.
• Fátima (12–13 October): the last big pilgrimage of the year.
• Surf contests: the World Surf League’s Portuguese event at Supertubos, Peniche, is scheduled for October in 2026. Dates have moved in recent years, so check. See surfing in Portugal.
• Nazaré’s big waves usually from October to March. See Nazaré.
• Golegã Horse Fair (November): the Feira Nacional do Cavalo, a celebration of the Lusitano horse. In 2026 it runs from 6 to 15 November.
• São Martinho (11 November): roasted chestnuts and new wine (água-pé) all over the country.
• Aljezur Sweet Potato Festival (late November): three days of food stalls and music, usually over the last weekend of the month, with free entry. Check the 2026 dates before you go.

See Portugal in autumn.

December

• Christmas villages and lights: Óbidos Vila Natal, Wonderland Lisboa in Parque Eduardo VII (usually late November to early January, free entry, rides extra) and Perlim in Santa Maria da Feira. See Christmas in Portugal.
• New Year’s Eve: fireworks over the Tagus in Lisbon and the famous display over Funchal in Madeira. See New Year in Madeira.

Tips

• Book early for festival weeks, especially June in Lisbon and Porto, Fátima in May and October, and New Year in Madeira. Prices rise and rooms sell out.
• Public holidays can mean closed museums and shops. 13 June is a local holiday in Lisbon, and 24 June in Porto, Braga and some other towns, but neither is a national holiday.
• Use public transport: roads close and parking vanishes during big street parties. Metros usually run extra services.
• Watch your bag in dense crowds, as you would anywhere.
• Quiet times: if you want calm, avoid the second half of June in the cities and August on the coast.

FAQ

When are the Santos Populares?

All through June, peaking on the night of 12 June for Santo António in Lisbon and 23 June for São João in Porto and Braga. São Pedro on 29 June closes the season.

How often is the Festa dos Tabuleiros?

Every four years. The last one was in 2023, and the next is planned for 3 to 12 July 2027.

Are Portuguese festivals free?

Most street parties, processions and fireworks are free. Music festivals and some events, such as the Óbidos Medieval Market, charge for entry.

More: the best time to visit Portugal.

See also: Santo Antonio in Lisbon, São João in Porto, Carnival in Portugal, public holidays 2027, Évora 2027, European Capital of Culture, the Festa dos Tabuleiros and NOS Alive.

Prices and details change, so please double-check before you travel. Spotted something out of date? Tell us in the groups.