Festa de Sao Joao

Name: Festa de Sao Joao
Start: 2025-06-22
End: 2025-06-23
Location: Porto

A Midsummer Night of Fire, Sardines, and Hammers

2025/06/22 - 2025/06/23

Every June 23rd, the city of Porto bursts into vibrant excitement for the São João Festival. This midsummer celebration, blending Catholic and ancient sun-worship traditions, brings locals and visitors together to dance all night, laugh, feast on sardines, and gaze at fireworks and countless paper lanterns lighting up the sky-truly Porto’s most magical night. Whether it’s your first time or you return every year, São João is a festival where everyone becomes family.

From afternoon until dawn, people gather in the historic Ribeira, along the riverside, and throughout the old city, enjoying live music, dancing, charcoal-grilled sardines, and bifanas (pork sandwiches). The iconic “clack” of plastic hammers, the scent of basil and charcoal, and the thunder of fireworks fill the summer night with unforgettable sensations.

Main Attractions

Street Parties, Fireworks, and Unique Traditions

The heart of the festival is the all-night street party that sweeps across the entire city. Everywhere, there are open-air concerts and folk dancing, with stalls serving grilled sardines, caldo verde (kale soup), bifanas, and spare ribs. Beer and port wine are essential companions.

At midnight, a spectacular fireworks display takes place over the Douro River and the Dom Luís I Bridge, with over 100,000 people watching from the riverbanks, rooftops, and even boats. The sight of countless paper lanterns (balões) floating into the sky is truly magical.

Plastic Hammers, Garlic, and Bonfires

The festival’s signature is the colorful plastic hammer. People of all ages gently tap each other’s heads, sharing luck and friendship. In the past, it was common to wave garlic or leeks, believed to bring health and ward off evil.

Bonfires blaze on street corners, where the brave leap over the flames to wish for good health. Basil pots (manjerico), paper flags, and poems are everywhere, and each neighborhood displays “cascatas”-miniature altars and dioramas celebrating local tradition.

Costumes and Decorations

There’s no dress code, but many wear flower crowns, face paint, or carry basil pots. The city is decorated with banners, balloons, and lanterns, while churches and squares shine with candles and lights, creating a warm and lively atmosphere everywhere.

Traditional Food and Drink

The star of São João is charcoal-grilled sardines, served on thick slices of bread and eaten by hand. Other favorites include caldo verde, spare ribs, bifanas, and São João cake. Beer, wine, and port wine flow freely, accompanied by laughter and music.

Cultural and Historical Background

The São João Festival has over 600 years of history and is held every June 23rd–24th in Porto, northern Portugal. The festival originated from a blend of Catholic celebration for the birth of St. John the Baptist and ancient pagan midsummer and sun rituals wishing for fertility and abundance[1][3][4][5][7][8]. While it began with religious processions and masses, over time it evolved into a popular festival featuring bonfire-jumping, dazzling fireworks, and playful traditions like the plastic hammer (introduced in the 1960s) and the older custom of tapping heads with garlic or leeks for health and luck[2][4][5].

São João is a symbol of Porto’s spirit, where families and friends reunite, honoring tradition while embracing new fun. On festival night, tens of thousands gather in Ribeira, along the river, and in the old city to enjoy grilled sardines, caldo verde, bifanas, live music, dancing, fireworks, and paper lanterns until sunrise. Bonfire-jumping, the sound of hammers, basil pots, and “cascatas” (miniature altars) fill the city with a sense of tradition and creativity.

This festival is a living tradition that embodies Porto’s history, culture, and communal joy. Today, visitors from around the world join locals to become “Porto’s family” for a night, making São João a uniquely unifying and unforgettable celebration.