Festa de São João do Porto

The celebration blends sacred and profane customs. People head into Porto's centre and older neighbourhoods to honour Saint John the Baptist, and a custom traced to pagan courtship rituals has revellers tapping one another with garlic flowers or soft plastic hammers.

Customary parts of the night include street concerts, dancing, bonfire jumping, grilled sardines, caldo verde, wine and illuminated balloons sent into the sky.

The festival is expected to run from 23 to 24 June in 2027, following its usual fixed dates. This has not been confirmed yet. It takes place in Porto, in the Norte region of Portugal, and is also known as Festas de São João do Porto.

A traditional fireworks show illuminates the sky along the Porto and Gaia riverfronts.

A community cascata, a São João 'waterfall', is built as a representation of Porto's traditional houses. Workshops are held where anyone interested can lend a hand.

The Arruada de Ranchos is a street parade in which the city's traditional groups and communities perform traditional songs and dances. Large concerts are also staged on Avenida dos Aliados, which the organiser describes as the city's largest open-air performance venue.

The festival has Christian roots but also mixes in pagan traditions, with the fireworks meant to embody a tribute to the sun.

Celebrations in Porto go back more than 6 hundred years, and during the 1800s the feast grew into Porto's most important festival.

The Rusgas are now part of the official programme and compete in a contest, yet they keep their spirit of collective joy and community.