Festivals

Experience the most vibrant and exciting festivals in the Philippines. From one-of-a-kind celebrations to citywide events. The Philippine Festivals are an unforgettable experience. The streets are filled with food, music, and wild celebrations that last all night. The most well-known are Christmas in the Philippines, Holy Week, Magayon Festival, and Sinulog Festival, but there’s something for everyone here.

Festivals by Month: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

ABOUT FESTIVALS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Fiesta is an ancient tradition handed down from many Spanish religious practices. The festivals are held to honor the Roman Catholic Patron Saints of a community, celebrate cultural heritage, or commemorate a town’s founding anniversary. The majority of the event’s highlights are a grand street parade, street dancing, a fluvial procession, and bazaars showcasing indigenous products.

The Philippines has traditionally been known as the Capital of the World’s Festivities as there are thousands of festivals in the country.

LITS OF Philippine Festivals by Municipality

Learn about the top festivals and events taking place in the Philippines, along with their dates and locations.

AGUSAN DEL NORTE

• Kahimoan Abayan Festival | July
  A riverside celebration in Butuan City in honor of St. Anne, Patroness of Agusan River.

AKLAN, PANAY ISLAND

• Ati–Atihan Festival January
  A week-long celebration in honor of the Patron Saint Sto. Niño.

ALBAY, BICOL

• Lubid Festival, July
  Malilipot is the major producer of abaca products in the region. The Lubid (Rope) Festival promotes abaca products in the country and the world. The festival’s main event is the street presentation and exhibition known as Sayaw Paralubid.
  
• Cagsawa Festival, February
  The festival is a commemoration of the catastrophic Mayon Volcano eruption in 1814 that buried the Cagsawa church and killed over 1,200 people.
  
• Fiesta Tsinoy, January or February
  A festival in Legazpi City featuring the Filipino-Chinese and the Albayano Culture.
  
• Alinao Festival, July
  A tribute to the lost tree of Alinao on the mountains of Malinao.
  
• Layag Festival, May
  A festival in the town of Rapu-Rapu in Albay province coincides with the feast day of Our Lady of Peñafrancia. Layap means sailboat which is an old mode of transportation in Rapu-Rapu.
  
• Sarung Banggi Festival, May
  Festival to immortalize the beloved song of Bicol Sarung Banggi and commemorate the birth of its composer Potenciano V. Gregorio.
  
• Pulang-Angui Festival | June
  This is a festival in Polangui that is derived from a legendary maiden named Pulang-Angui who loves to wear red colors of dresses.
  
• Pinangat Festival | June
  A festival in Camalig in honor of its Patron St. John the Baptist. Pinagat is a famous delicacy in this municipality.
  
• Libon Paroy Festival | July
  A festival in the municipality of Libon to celebrate its rich agricultural heritage. Libon is the rice granary of Albay. Paroy means rice.
  
• Guinobatan Longganisa Festival, August
  A festival in Guinobatan to honor the town’s patron saint Our Lady of Assumption. The festival’s name is derived from the municipality’s famous longganisa, a Philippine sausage with a unique taste.
  
• Coron Festival, August
  A celebration in Tiwi. The festival name is derived from Coron or pottery products.
  
• Lambat Festival, November
  This event in Pioduran is to honor its patron Saint Nuestra Señora de Salvacion.
  
• Ligao Sunflower, Festival March
  This festival is held to commemorate the anniversary of the cityhood of Ligao.
  
• Tabak Festival, June
  A celebration of the founding anniversary of the City of Tabaco and the feast of Saint John the Baptist.

BACOLOD CITY

• Masskara Festival, October
  Also known as the “Festival of Smiles.” Participants wear colorful smiling masks to represent happiness. The festival name is coined from two words: “mass”, meaning crowd, and the Spanish word “cara,” meaning mask. Masskara translates to “many faces.”

BAGUIO CITY

• Baguio Flower Festival, February
  A display of colorful flowers, floats, and costumes. Street parades, fireworks, and food for sale. Also known as Panagbenga, it is a feast to celebrate the season of blooming.

BASILAN

• Sakayan Festival, April
  A parade of lavishly decorated Sakayan. Sakayan is a small boat used for fishing and transportation of goods. Fishing is one of the primary sources of livelihood in Isabela.
  

BATANGAS

• Mahaguyog Festival, February to March
  A celebration to promote the municipality of Sto. Tomas. Mahaguyog is coined from agricultural products grown abundantly in the municipality: MAis, HAlaman, GUlay, niYOG.
  
• Sublian sa Batangas, July
  A feast to revive the cultural and religious practice of subli among the Batagueños. Subli is a worship dance of the Holy Cross that has origins in the Catholic faith.

BUKIDNON

• Sunggod Ta Kamanga, February
  A festival of ethnic customs and traditions in honor of its original inhabitants, the Manobos. Sunggod Ta Kamanga means preparing the tools for the new farming season.

• Spring Festival, July
  Also known as the Kahalawan Te Sebseb Festival of Maramag, The festival celebrates the bounty of springs or “tuburan” in the locality.

CAGAYAN DE ORO

• Higalaay Festival, August
  A thanksgiving celebration is also known as the Friendship Festival. Cagayan de Oro is known as the City of Golden Friendship. The Cebuano word higala means friend.

CALBAYOG CITY

• Sarakiki Festival, September
  A street dancing parade that simulates the movements of the cock to the beat of indigenous Samareño musical instruments. Sarakiki is a Waray term describing the frenzied movements of a rooster when trying to mate with a hen or provoke a fight with another rooster.

CAMARINES NORTE

• Mananap Festival, April
  A festival that promotes local culture and tourism in the municipality of San Vicente.
  
• Bantayog Festival, April
  This festival is celebrated to pay tribute to the Philippines’ National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal. Bantayog means monument. The first monument of Rizal can be found in Daet in Camarines Norte.
  
• Palong Festival, May
  This festival is held during the celebration of the Black Nazarene Feast Day. The festival name is derived from an ornamental plant called “rooster combs” or “palong manok” which is abundant in Capalonga. The highlights of the celebration are street dancing and an agro-industrial fair.
  
• Pinyasan Festival, June
  This festival is an annual celebration of the foundation day of the town of Daet. The celebration promotes the town’s culture, agricultural products, and tourism. Pinyasan means Pineapple which is the primary agricultural product of the Daet.
  
• Rahugan Festival, October
  A festival showcasing the culture of Basud. Rahugan comes from the word “rahug” which means a group of coconuts that signifies strength when united.
  
• Mambulawan Festival, October
  The festival coincides with the Feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. The municipality is rich in gold mines that are called “Bicol Bulawan”.
  
• Kadagatan Festival, August
  A festival to celebrate the rich marine resources of the municipality of Mercedes.
  
• Busig-On Festival, September
  A feast is Labo to celebrate the abundant waters of Labo River. The festival’s name is derived from the words “busig,” which means water, and “on” meaning plenty.
  
• Mananap Festival, April
  This celebration promotes local culture and tourism in the municipality of San Vicente.

CAMARINES SUR

• Cimarrones Festival, October
  A festival featuring the cultural heritage of the town of Pili. The main events are the Festival Street Dancing Competition, Musical Night, and Miss Capital Town.
  
• Isla Carahan Festival May
  A celebration in Caramoan featuring the island’s cultural heritage.
  
• Karanowan Fish-Tival, February
  A festival that showcases the rich aquatic resources of Lake Bato. The festival name is derived from the local dialect “Ranow” which means Lake.
  
• Kamalig Festival, June
  An annual celebration of the foundation day of the Municipality of Camaligan.
  
• Tig-Aw Festival, August
  An annual celebration of thanksgiving in honor of the town’s Patroness, St. Clare of Assisi. The festival’s name is derived from a shrub that grows abundantly along the river banks of Tigaon called Tigaw.
  
• Guipao Festival, November
  An annual celebration in honor of its Patron St. Andrew the Apostle. This festival portrays the main source of living for Sagñaynons which is fishing.
  
• San Juan sa Hibok-Hibok Festival, June
  This festival in the province of Camiguin is held in honor of St. John the Baptist.

CATANDUANES

• Abaca Festival, May
  Catanduanes is the country’s largest producer of abaca fiber. This festival showcases this main product of the province.
  
• Catandungan, October
  Celebration of the town’s foundation anniversary as a province independent from Albay.

CEBU CITY

• Sinulog Festival, January
  A grand cultural-religious festival in honor of the Holy Child, the Sto. Niño de Cebu. The main event is the parade of dances to the beat of the drum called the “Sinulog”.

COMPOSTELA VALLEY

• Anibina Bulawanun Festival, March
  A festival in the municipality of Nabunturan to celebrate the founding anniversary of Compostela Province and a bountiful harvest of gold. The Compostela Valley is known for its rich gold deposits.

DAVAO

• P’yagsawitan Festival, November
  A commemoration of the founding anniversary of the Municipality of Maragusan. This is also a thanksgiving festival for bountiful harvests and highlights the rich cultural heritage of Mansaka.

DIPOLOG

• P’gsalabuk Festival, April to May
  A festival that celebrates diversity. P’GSALABUK is a Subanen term that means “togetherness”.
  
• Dahunog sa Dipolog September
  An annual celebration that showcases beat band and dance parade competition. Dahunog is a Cebuano word that means a rumbling sound.

ILIGAN CITY

• Diyandi Festival, September 29
  A festival to promote cultural identity and in honor of Iligan’s Patron St Michael. Diyandi Festival derived its name from Higaonon term “diyandi” which means “a celebration of life”.

ILOCOS SUR

• Santa Ipon Festival, November to December
  This is a Thanksgiving festival and highlights the catching of the ipon. Ipon is a tiny species of fish that can only be found in certain coastal areas of Northern Luzon.

LANAO DEL NORTE

• Nangkaan Festival, February
  A festival in Maigo that showcases langka, or jackfruit, which is one of the town’s major products.
  
• Alimango Festival, March 22
  A colorful celebration in the town of Lala that highlights the abundance of Crabs in the Municipality.
  
• Lechonan sa Baroy, June
  A grand parade of lechon, or roasted pig.
  
• Kahumayan Festival, December
  A thanksgiving celebration for the abundance of rice in the area. The festival showcases rice products and cuisines such as budbud, biko, bingka, espasol, palitao, puto, kalamay, and arroz valenciana. Humay is a Visaya word for rice.

LEGAZPI CITY

• Ibalong Festival, August
  An annual festival dedicated to the legendary heroes of the Ibalong epic: Baltog, Handyong and Bantong. The three heroes fought against giant flying sharks, one-eyed creatures, gigantic crocodiles, and other such monsters.

MANILA

• Feast of the Black Nazarene, January
  A grand procession called Traslacion, where millions of devotees throng to touch the image of the Black Nazarene.

MARINDUQUE

• Moriones Festival, April
  This festival is held during the Holy Week. Moriones is a costume worn to reenact the story of Longhinus. Longihus who was nearly blind was healed when some of the blood and water from Jesus fell into his eyes. It was then he started to believe in Jesus and actually started to tell people about what had happened.

MASBATE

• Rodeo Festival, April
  An annual event that showcases the castle and livestock industry in Masbate. Masbate turns into a “cowboy country” during this festival.
  
• Naro Festival, June
  A celebration of the founding anniversary of the Municipality of Dimasalang.
  
• Lapay Bantigue Dance Festival, September
  Features a traditional folk dance inspired by sea birds locally known as Lapay, or Seagull. The dance was created by Felisa Tupas and spread among the villagers, who offered it to their patroness, Saint Philomena.

MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL

• Christmas Symbols, December
  A spectacular display of Christmas decorations and performances in Tangub City often features illuminated replicas of iconic landmarks from around the world.

MISAMIS ORIENTAL

• Kuyamis Festival, January
  Celebration of the founding anniversary of Misamis Oriental. Kuyamis is the local name of coconut which is abundant in the municipality.
  
• Grand Kaliga Festival, July
  A celebration in Gingoog City for the thanksgiving of the Higaonon The Higaonon is one of the least known ethnolinguistic groups that inhabit North-Central Mindanao. Kalinga means thanksgiving for the abundance and prosperity received all year round.

NAGA CITY

• Kamundagan Festival, December
  A parade of lights in Naga to celebrate the birth of the child Jesus.
  
• Bicol Food Festival, September
  A food festival that showcases Bicolano cuisine such as Bicol Express, Pinangat, Laing, Peccadillo, Inolokan or Tinolmok, Cocido, and Tinotongan.

NEGROS ORIENTAL

• Sinulog de Tanjay Festival, December
  Features a unique reenactment of the battle between the Christians and the Moros. This festival was known as Sinulog but has been renamed to Saulog to distinguish it from the Sinulog of Cebu.

OZAMIZ CITY

• Subayan Keg Subanen Festival, July
  A celebration to commemorate the anniversary of Ozamiz becoming a chartered city on July 16, 1948. This festival features the cultural values and traditions of the lumads or indigenous people known as the Subanon.

ORIENTAL MINDORO

• Sanduguan Festival, November
  This festival highlights the reenactment of the first barter trade between the indigenous tribe of Mangyan and the Chinese traders. Sanduguan is derived from the Mangyan word “sandugo” which means “brotherhood.”

PAGADIAN CITY

• Pasalamat Festival, January
  A feast in honor of the town’s Patron Saint, Sto. Niño.

PAMPANGA

• Giant Lantern Festival, December
  An exhibition of giant lanterns in the City of San Fernando. Due to the popularity of the festival, the city was dubbed the Christmas Capital of the Philippines.

PANGASINAN

• Mango Bamboo Festival, August
  A festival promoting San Carlos City as a major trading center for bamboo furniture and the best producer of carabao mango in the country.

PUERTO GALERA

• Malasimbo Festival, March
  A festival of music, art, the environment, and culture.

RIZAL

• Higantes Festival, November
  A celebration in Angono Rizal in honor of San Clemente, the patron saint of the fishermen. This celebration is marked by a parade of paper-mâché giants representing the local’s mockery of bad land owners and as a form of protest during the Spanish colonization.

ROXAS CITY, CAPIZ

• Sinadya sa Halaran, December
  A celebration of sharing and thanksgiving. The festival is actually a fusion of two festivals: Sinadya, a city festival, and Halaran, a provincial festival.

SAMAL ISLAND, DAVAO

• Pangapog Festival, August
  A thanksgiving celebration by the Sama people for a bountiful harvest. The Sama are the indigenous individuals of Samal.

SAN CARLOS CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL

• Pintaflores, November
  A celebration to commemorate the beginnings of San Carlos The highlight is a grand street dancing parade with the dancers decorated with creative tattoos or paint and wearing floral costumes. The festival’s name is derived from the Spanish words “pinta,” which means paint, and “Flores,” which means flowers. The region now known as San Carlos City was named after a legendary Princess Nabingka who hailed from Cebu City and traveled to this nearby island and ruled the barrio during the early part of the 17th century. San Carlos used to be called Nabingkan.

SORSOGON CITY, BICOL

• Pili Festival, June
  This festival coincides with the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, the city’s Patrons. The festival’s name is derived from the pili tree, which is indigenous to Sorsogon.
  
• Butanding Festival. May
  Butanding is Tagalog for whale sharks. This festival is a thanksgiving for its blessings to the people of Donsol.
  
• Ginubat Festival June
  A festival in honor of the Patron St. Anthony of Padua. It is also the foundation of the town. The highlights of the celebration are a cultural street parade, exhibit, sailboat race, beauty pageant, fiesta celebration, and the Balik Gubat. Ginubat is an old Bikol word that means a place that was raided.
  
• Magalleones Festival, July
  A festival in honor of the Municipality of Magallanes’ patron saint, Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The festival’s name is derived from the galleon or sailing ship. The municipality was one of the shipbuilding capitals of the Bicol peninsula during the Spanish colonial period.
  
• Hin-ay Festival, September
  It commemorates the feast day of the patron saint of Sorsogon, St. Michael the Archangel.
  
• Parau Festival, October
  A festival showcasing the culture and heritage of Pilar.
  
• Unod Festival, October
  A thanksgiving festival for a bountiful harvest of root crops. Unod is a Bicol term meaning root.

SOUTH COTABATO

• T’boli Tribal Festival, September
  Also known as Lemlunay, this festival is staged at Lake Sebu that features tribal rituals. Lemlunay means “paradise”.

ZAMBOANGA

• Sibug-Sibug Festival, February
  Celebrated during foundation day in the province of Sibugay.
  
• Saulog Festival, June
  A celebration of the founding anniversary of Zamboanga del Norte and thanksgiving to the Almighty. Saulog means to celebrate in the local dialect.
  
• Kinabayo Festival, July
  A celebration in Dapitan City in honor of its patron, St. James. It features a reenactment of the epic battle of Covadonga, where the Spanish General Pelagio took his final stand against Sacaran.
  
• Zamboanga Hermosa Festival, September
  Also known as fiesta Pilar, this festival is an annual celebration in honor of the Patroness Saint of Zamboanga City, Our Lady of the Pillar or better known as Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar.

Try to visit these festivals whenever you have the chance. This will definitely give you a different experience when it comes to traveling in the Philippines. For those who are planning their vacation, make sure to include one of these festivals in your list. I know that you will enjoy yourself for sure!