Santo Antonio Festival in Lisbon (June)

Every June, Lisbon throws its biggest party: the Festas de Lisboa, in honour of Saint Anthony. The old neighbourhoods fill with street parties, grilled sardines, paper garlands and music, and the night of 12 June is one of the best nights of the year to be in Lisbon. Here’s how to enjoy it.

Quick answer: the big night is 12 June, going into the 13th, Saint Anthony’s day. Watch the Marchas Populares parade on Avenida da Liberdade, then join the arraiais (street parties) in Alfama, Mouraria, Graça and Bica for sardines on bread, beer and dancing until dawn. Book accommodation early.

Why go

For one night the whole city is out on the street. Grandmothers dance with students, every small square has a grill, and the smell of sardines drifts up the hills. It’s loud, crowded and friendly, and it shows a side of Lisbon you won’t see the rest of the year.

The wider Festas de Lisboa programme lasts about a month, roughly from late May to the end of June, with concerts, exhibitions and outdoor events across the city. Many of them are free. In 2026, for example, the programme ran from 29 May to 26 June, with street parties until 30 June.

Who was Saint Anthony?

Saint Anthony was born in Lisbon in the 1190s, near where the cathedral stands, and died in Padua in Italy in 1231. Most of the world calls him Saint Anthony of Padua, but Lisbon claims him as its own. He is the city’s best-loved saint and is known as a matchmaker, which is why the festival is full of love tokens and weddings. The 13th of June is a public holiday in Lisbon, so many shops and offices close.

His birth name was Fernando de Bulhões. The small Church of Santo António, just below the cathedral, stands on the site traditionally said to be his birthplace. On 13 June a procession in his honour usually leaves from there in the afternoon and winds through the streets of Alfama.

What happens

• Arraiais: street parties throughout June, especially in the old quarters, with grills, bars, music and dancing. They get busiest on Friday and Saturday nights and peak on 12 June.
• Marchas Populares: neighbourhoods compete in a costumed parade along Avenida da Liberdade on the evening of 12 June. In recent years it has started around 9pm and goes on for hours, with each group singing and dancing its routine for a jury.
• Sardines: grilled sardines on bread are the taste of the festival. June is the start of sardine season. See Portuguese sardines.
• Other food: bifanas, caldo verde soup and cold beer or sangria from the stalls. See the bifana and prego.
• Manjericos: small pots of basil with paper flowers and a short poem, given as tokens of love. Smell the basil by rubbing it with your hand, not your nose.
• Saint Anthony’s weddings: a group wedding for couples, held on 12 June with a civil ceremony and a church service at Lisbon Cathedral. The couples then lead the parade on the Avenida.

More about the Marchas

Each neighbourhood spends months preparing its march: the song, the costumes, the dance and the decorated arches carried by the marchers. About 20 groups take part. Before the big night, the marches perform for the judges at an indoor arena in Parque das Nações, usually in late May or early June, and these shows are ticketed. Each year has a theme. The parade on the Avenida is free to watch and is also shown live on Portuguese TV.

Where to go

• Alfama: the most famous and crowded. See Alfama.
• Mouraria and Graça: lively and slightly more local. See Mouraria and Graça.
• Bica and Bairro Alto: steep streets packed with people. See Bairro Alto.
• Castelo: the streets around the castle walls, with views across the city.

A plan for 12 June

• Early evening: eat sardines at an arraial before the crowds arrive.
• 9pm onwards: find a spot on Avenida da Liberdade for the Marchas. Arrive early for a good view, or watch an hour and move on.
• Late night: walk up to Alfama or Mouraria. The arraiais run until the early hours.

If you miss 12 June, the street parties carry on most nights in June. Smaller crowds can be a better way to enjoy them.

Other nights

Lisbon also celebrates the other popular saints of June: Saint John on 24 June and Saint Peter on 29 June, so arraiais keep going until the end of the month. They’re smaller than on 12 June. If you want the full party in another city, Porto’s São João on the night of 23 June is just as wild.

What it costs

Watching the parade and joining the street parties is free. Food and drink are sold from stalls, and prices are usually modest: a sardine on bread, a beer or a bifana costs a few euros each. Hotels are the big cost, as prices rise sharply around 12 June.

Tips

• Crowds: very busy on 12 June, especially in Alfama’s narrow lanes. Watch your belongings. See is Portugal safe?
• Transport: in recent years the metro has run until about 3am on the main night, but Avenida station can close during the parade. Expect packed trains and road closures, and check Metro de Lisboa before you go. See Lisbon public transport.
• Book early: hotels fill up and prices rise. See the best hotels in Lisbon.
• Cash: handy for the street stalls.
• Shoes: the cobbles get slippery with spilled beer. Wear trainers, not sandals.
• Kids: early evening arraiais are fine for families. Late at night, the narrow lanes get too crowded for buggies.
• Toilets: they’re scarce. Use a cafe when you can, and buy a drink to be polite.

FAQ

When is the Santo António festival in Lisbon?

The festival runs through June, with events from late May. The main night is 12 June, going into 13 June, Saint Anthony’s day and a Lisbon public holiday.

What time do the Marchas Populares start?

The parade on Avenida da Liberdade usually starts in the evening of 12 June, around 9pm in recent years, and goes on for several hours.

Is the Santo António festival free?

Yes. The parade and street parties are free. You only pay for food and drink, and for the indoor arena shows if you go to them.

Why do people give basil in June?

The small pots of basil, called manjericos, are traditional love tokens. They come with a paper flower and a short poem.

More: the Portugal festivals calendar, Portugal in June and São João in Porto.

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