Festas de Lisboa

In June, Lisbon celebrates its great popular festivities, crowned by the night of Santo António — the city’s saint — on 12 to 13 June. The neighbourhoods fill with arraiais, grilled sardines and music, and the marchas populares parade down the Avenida da Liberdade in one of the most beloved traditions of the city.

History and traditions

Santo António was born in Lisbon, and his feast became the festival of the city. Through the decades, the marchas populares — the parade of each neighbourhood, with its songs and costumes — grew into the heart of the celebrations, alongside the arraiais of the old quarters, with their stalls, sardines and paper decorations.

Cosa aspettarsi

• The parade of the marchas populares, in June.
• The arraiais of the historic neighbourhoods, with music and food.
• Grilled sardines and the flavours of the festival.
• The night of Santo António, in the streets of the old city.

Visiting

The festivities are held every year through June, above all around the 12th and 13th, in the centre of Lisbon. The programme of each edition should be confirmed with the municipality before your visit.

Nearby

The celebrations fill the old city, from the Sé de Lisboa to the Castelo de São Jorge and the riverside.

Information: egeac.pt.

Image credit: Marchas Populares de Lisboa, by Béria Lima de Rodríguez, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.