1. Festa dos Rapazes

Held every year in the Trás-os-Montes region of the country, the “Festa dos Rapazes” is a famous traditional Portugal festival. This exciting event held every December and is usually done to celebrate young men’s transition to adulthood. It takes place every year on the 25th and 26th of December. Festa dos Rapazes which translates to Festival of the Lads is celebrated for two days and involves young men (usually 16-year-olds) wearing masks and dancing through the community to mark their transition to adulthood.

Festa dos Rapazes

Address: Varge, Braganca, Portugal

Takes place: December

2. Noite Branca Loule [Last event in 2019]

A popular tradition in Algarve is the Loulé White Night. It attracts people from across Portugal and beyond. It is the most prominent White Night party in the region, and it occurs biennially. Held to bid farewell to the Algarve summer, the festival has a fantastic line up of planned programs with street performances from bands and DJs too. It’s an all-white dress code party, with the city’s residents even bringing out white couches to decorate street fronts and shops adorned with white decorations.

Noite Branca Loule

Address: Algarve, Main streets, Loulé Portugal

Website: Noite Branca Loule

Takes place: August

Price: Free

3. Rock in Rio Lisboa

Looking for more fun things to do in Portugal? Rock music is a big thing in Europe, and there are several festivals, celebrating its invent. And one of the largest rock festivals in Europe, Rock in Rio Lisboa, is held in Portugal. It is modeled after the Brazilian musical festival Rock in Rio and it’s the best place to enjoy rock festivities in the country. This event is held over five days in Lisbon’s Bela Vista Park. This Portugal music festival features several top international rock artists, bands, other musicians, and talented DJs! The festival even gives opportunities for new talents to perform and offers its visitors enough food and drink stand.

Rock in Rio Lisboa

Address: Parque da Bela Vista, Lisbon, 1399-021, Portugal

Opening hours: June

Price: From 112 USD

4. Porto’s Festa de São Joao

One of the most popular festivals in Porto, Festa de São João, is an event to attend. This Portugal celebration is held every year to cap off five weeks of fun and festivities. It is held in June as a form of tribute to St. John and features a lot of things to make your visit memorable. At Festa de São João, you will see, admire, and enjoy different traditional music performances, jumping over bonfires, eating homemade and international snacks, musical dances, and so much more.

Porto’s Festa de São Joao

Takes place: June 23

Price: Free

5. Feira de Outubro, Vila Franca de Xira

Fun, excitement, art, and sports is what Feira de Outubro offers its visitors and participants. The enthralling fair event takes place in Vila Franca de Xira and features a series of exciting shows and events. There are several activities to enjoy in this fair. Apart from cooking shows, art displays, and handicraft works on sale, you will also see places to shop for clothes, ceramic work, wood carvings, etc. This fest also offers you more than enough places to eat and drink on the ground but the highlight event here is the bull-running and bull-fighting event.

Feira de Outubro, Vila Franca de Xira

Address: Vila Franca de Xira, Lisbon

Website: Feira de Outubro, Vila Franca de Xira

Takes place: October

6. Festival de Sintra

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

If you enjoy classical music, then this festival is perfect for you. Usually held in May or June, the Festival de Sintra lasts for three weeks. It is held in several grand palaces and beautiful gardens around Queluz and Sintra. Get entertained watching performances from many world-class symphony orchestra choirs and enjoy a variety of other programs, including ballet performances, musical shows, classical recitals, and so much more. Aside from several different shows, this fair also features and hosts exciting concerts for children, too.

Festival de Sintra

Website: Festival de Sintra

Takes place: May or June

7. Festa dos Tabuleiro, Tomar

Festa dos Tabuleiros, literally translated to mean ‘Festival of the Trays,’ is a beautiful celebration, featuring drinking, music, dancing, and fireworks. The festival is held in July every four years on the streets of Tomar. In full festival mode, Tomar comes alive with decorations, music, parades, and food for one whole week. The city’s center is adorned with colorful blankets spread over balconies and handmade paper flowers. Participants can get involved in making the decorations and cheering on the parading women. It is one of the most popular festivals in the region.

Festa dos Tabuleiro, Tomar

Address: Casa Vieira Guimarães 2300- 592 Tomar

Website: Festa dos Tabuleiro, Tomar

Takes place: July (Every four years)

8. Festa de São Gonçalo, Amarante

Held in remembrance of a catholic patron of the country, São Gonçalo, Festa de São Gonçalo hosts thousands of pilgrims and carnival lovers every year. The saint was said to have special matchmaking skills and helped a lot of people find true love, therefore several unmarried people and those looking for solutions throng the city during the festival period for prayers. One unique thing about this festival is that even though it is held in a church, sweets and cakes in the shape of a “phallus” are sold and exchanged to symbolize love! It’s an event you won’t want to miss.

Festa de São Gonçalo, Amarante

Takes place: First week of June

9. Festa da Coca, Moncao

In Monção, there is a festival done to ensure a good agricultural year - the Coca Festival or Festa da Coca. On the day of the festival, the legend of the fight between São Jorge and the Dragon is recreated amid cheers and shouts from the crowd. Wearing a cloak and armed with weapons, a knight represents the saint while the dragon is represented by a colorful wooden frame with men inside it. It is a fascinating spectacle to watch. It culminates with a resounding cheer when the dragon is defeated. After then, the festivities continue with merriment, featuring eating and drinking and different entertainment.

Festa da Coca, Moncao

Address: Rua da Independência Monção 4950-467, Portugal

Website: Festa da Coca, Moncao

Takes place: June

Price: Free

10. Festa do Senhor Santo Cristo

As rich as Portugal is culturally, it is also a very religious nation. There are a lot of religious festivals throughout the year in the country, and one of the most important religious events is the Festa do Senhor Santo Cristo. Join the faithful in the many essential processions held during this festival, with the march of Senhor Santo Cristo being the final and grandest. Attend this fest to experience a real feeling of San Miguel’s rich spiritual heritage.

Festa do Senhor Santo Cristo

Address: Ponta Delgada. vários (São Miguel), Portugal

Website: Festa do Senhor Santo Cristo

Takes place: May

11. Obidos International Chocolate Festival

If you love the sweeter things in life, then you shouldn’t miss attending the International Chocolate Festival in Óbidos. For a couple of days, the ancient streets of this town come alive with several displays of sweets, cakes, and delicious pastries. Children will have fun here by engaging in the activities at the “Kids Chocolate House” while adults can attend culinary chocolate classes and watch exciting cooking competitions, and cheer on their favorite contestant. Also, admire the beautiful sculptures made of chocolate here.

Obidos International Chocolate Festival

Website: Obidos International Chocolate Festival

Takes place: March to May

12. Easter Holy Week

Popularly referred to as the Rome of Portugal, the ancient city of Braga hosts a vast religious festival every March or April, yearly. As people celebrate Easter all around the world, the people of Braga celebrate it by organizing a week-long carnival in the streets. The sacred city gets decorated with beautiful motifs relating to the occasion. There are several processions, and most importantly, all the houses and shops along the streets are also decorated and filled with flowers and lights. The Easter Holy Week celebrated in Braga is one of the most significant Easter celebrations in the world.

Easter Holy Week

Address: Rua D. Paio Mendes 4700-424 Braga, Portugal

Website: Easter Holy Week

Takes place: April

13. Carnaval, Lisbon

Much like it is done in Brazil and the Caribbean, Portugal also celebrates the famous Carnaval. The Carnaval is a fantastic celebration of the boating culture and lifestyle of the people. It is celebrated in different communities; however, the grandest is done in Lisbon, Portugal. During the Carnaval, Lisbon’s streets get filled up with festive activities, including theater performances, street acts, costumes, masks, and floats. Everything combined gives off a very colorful look and the view of the decorated boats sailing along the coastline is mesmerizing.

Carnaval, Lisbon

Takes place: February or March

14. Lisbon Fish & Flavors [Last event in 2019]

Food lover? This one is for you. Fish & Flavors is a fantastic culinary event held yearly to highlight the excellent local cuisine of the city. A festival targeted at showing off the different delicious indigenous cuisines, it is organized by a joint body of several tourist organizations in the city. This Lisbon, Portugal event fills the streets with crowds, local food stalls, and so much more. For entertainment, there are several options, including exciting live music performances. Taste different new dishes and enjoy yourself at this gastronomic event.

Lisbon Fish & Flavors

Website: Lisbon Fish & Flavors

Opening hours: April

15. NOS Alive, Lisbon

Portuguese rock music has become quite a big thing in the country and all around Europe. NOS Alive is an event held to honor Portuguese rock, indie, and alternative music. The music carnival is held each summer on the beautiful Oeiras coast, close to the country’s capital city. As one of the most famous music fests in Europe, it has hosted several celebrities, including Arctic Monkeys, Pearl Jam, Queens of the Stone Age, and so many more. The concert in Portugal comes alive at night and there is an on-site police stand, food hall, and hospital.

NOS Alive, Lisbon

Address: Passeio Marítimo de Algés, Lisbon, 1495, Portugal

Website: NOS Alive, Lisbon

Takes place: July

Price: 77 USD

16. Meo Mares Viva, Vila Nova de Gaia

MEO Mares Vivas is a multi-genre music festival. Held in Vila Nova de Gaia, the fest offers you a unique, vibrant, and fun experience as you sing along to some of the best music of the decade. The carnival has an impressive lineup of featured artists and promises to host more local and international stars with every passing year. No matter the type of music you love, this event will keep you thoroughly engaged and thrilled throughout the period.

Meo Mares Viva, Vila Nova de Gaia

Address: R. da Praia, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal

Website: Meo Mares Viva, Vila Nova de Gaia

Opening hours: July

17. Andancas, Castelo de Vide

The quaint Portuguese town of Castelo de Vide hosts an event that celebrates much more than Portuguese music but it also honors the country’s traditional dance. It is a festival that exhibits the social customs, habits, and traditions of the people, showing the links between cultures, generations, and experiences. It is an incredible place to learn more about the country’s customs and see some fantastic dance styles. The fest also features other dance styles from all around the world and a diverse list of performers, arts and crafts displays, and so much more.

Andancas, Castelo de Vide

Address: Barragem de Póvoa e Meadas, Portugal

Website: Andancas, Castelo de Vide

Takes place: August

18. Neo Pop, Viana do Castelo

If you love electronic music then there is something special for you here too. Neo Pop is one of the biggest events for electronic music in the country. This remarkable event is held in the coastal town of Viana do Castelo, and it packs an excellent lineup of musical stars. Enjoy listening and partying to the hottest techno sounds right in front of the Atlantic Ocean! With such a fantastic backdrop, live stage performances, and DJ performances, it is an excellent place for electronic music lovers to get their groove on.

Neo Pop, Viana do Castelo

Address: Rua dos Mareantes, Viana do Castelo, 4900, Portugal

Website: Neo Pop, Viana do Castelo

Takes place: August

19. Super Bock Super Rock

Yet another music fiesta held in the country, Super Bock Super Rock is a music event you shouldn’t miss. It is held in Parque das Nacoes, on the northern side of the country’s capital city. As the event’s name suggests, it is a festival majorly for rock music and its lovers. The carnival-like show is hosted by the rock city and is a very interesting and exciting event to attend. Aside from its fever-pitch levels of fun, the grounds of this fest is filled with food and drink stalls, and the town itself has several places to explore too.

Super Bock Super Rock

Address: Praia do Meco, Portugal

Website: Super Bock Super Rock

Takes place: July

20. MEO Sudoeste, Zambujera do Mar

A great music event celebrated right by the beach, MEO Sudoeste, is a must-see fest in Portugal. This fun and delightful concert-like program is grand and features a lot of world stars across different music genres, including pop, rap, and EDM music. The atmosphere here gives you an unforgettable party experience. Zambujeira do Mar has been hosting this festival since the late 1990s and it has gradually grown to become one of the favorite events in the country. It runs for one full week.

MEO Sudoeste, Zambujera do Mar

Address: Herdade da Casa Branca, Zambujeira do Mar (Odemira), 7630, Portugal

Website: MEO Sudoeste, Zambujera do Mar

Takes place: Usually held in August

21. Boom Festival, Idanha-a-Nova

If you are in the country in July, then you should attend the Boom Festival in Idanha-a-Nova. Organized to mark art, freedom, and nature, the event is held along the banks of the Idanha-a-Nova dam during the full moon in July or August. It features performance art, music performances, theater shows, workshops, painting, art conferences, and so much more. Also, the event has a mesmerizing setting where its participants can enjoy stunning views of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Boom Festival, Idanha-a-Nova

Address: Boom Land Idanha-a-Velha, Portugal

Website: Boom Festival, Idanha-a-Nova

Takes place: July or August

Price: 30 USD

22. EDP Beach Party, Matosinhos

There is one more amazing electronic music fest held in Portugal and this time it’s in Matosinhos. The EDP Beach Party is a grand event, featuring the hottest electronic music, blasting through the entire grounds. It is one of the most popular and most attended events in the region as it regularly features an outstanding lineup of some of the world’s biggest DJs. The entire ambiance of the festival ground is bubbling with activities, and complete with giant speakers, a majestic stage, and stunning lighting effects.

EDP Beach Party, Matosinhos

Address: Praia do Aterro Norte, Matosinhos, Portugal

Takes place: June

23. Paredes de Coura

This is one of the oldest and most enigmatic music fests in the country. For almost 30 years, Paredes de Coura Festival has been providing music lovers in the city a place to fully explore their love for music and discover new music styles. The carnival is organized in Porto e Norte region and features different types of bands performing in a vast natural amphitheater. The party-like atmosphere of this fiesta is complete with stands for food and drinks and even camping spaces. It is held on the river beach of Tabuão and has also been listed as one of Europe’s five best music fests.

Paredes de Coura

Website: Paredes de Coura

Takes place: August

24. Sumol Summer Fest, Ericeria

Get your summer off on the right track at the Sumol Summer Fest in Ericeira. The summer fest is the perfect opportunity to get into that summer party and holiday spirit. It is set on a popular seaside resort and famous surf location so you can also get involved and enjoy other activities like surfing, surfboarding, and so much more. The event itself offers you an incredible musical lineup of hip-hop, rap, dancehall, pop, and reggae artists to perform on its grand stage for you to enjoy.

Sumol Summer Fest, Ericeria

Address: Ericeira Camping, Ericeira, 2655-319, Portugal

Website: Sumol Summer Fest, Ericeria

Takes place: July

25. VOA Heavy Rock Festival

The biggest and most popular festival for heavy metal and hard rock music in Portugal, VOA Heavy Rock Festival is a must-attend. It is held in July every year, takes center stage in the nation’s capital city, Lisbon, and has been thrilling music fans with the best rock and metal music for over 10 years now. The show has featured a lot of fan-favorite local and international artists since its inception, and it continues in that tradition. It is a great place to kickstart the summer fun.

VOA Heavy Rock Festival

Address: Estádio Nacional, Lisbon, Portugal

Website: VOA Heavy Rock Festival

Takes place: June to July

Price: From 60 USD

26. D NoLimits [Previously known as Lisboa Dance Festival]

Are you feeling like dancing your shoes off to the upbeat sounds of electric rhythms? Then this event is where you should be. Even though the fest was launched for the first time barely three years ago, the show has quickly gained popularity among the country’s locals and tourists alike. As a relatively new show, Lisboa Dance Festival presents its attendees with an impressive lineup of the hottest and latest acts in the electronic music scene. So you can be sure of a wonderful party time here.

Lisboa Dance Festival

Website: Lisboa Dance Festival

Takes place: Usually held in February

27. NOS Primavera Sound

Another one of the nation’s numerous music parties, NOS Primavera Sound is one of the grand festivities to attend. The program is modeled in resemblance to the bigger version held in the neighboring country of Spain – Barcelona, to be precise. The unique thing about this event is that it is one of the first music fests on the year, as it is held in June. However it packs a star-studded lineup of musicians to perform every year and presents a lot of musical diversity to enjoy.

NOS Primavera Sound,

Address: NOS Primavera Sound, Porto, Portugal

Website: NOS Primavera Sound

Opening hours: June

Price: 130 USD

28. Feira Nacional da Agricultura

The biggest and oldest agricultural fair in the entire country, Feira Nacional da Agricultura, or FNA, is a must-attend fair. The show usually holds in the National Center of Agricultural Exhibitions and Markets (CNEMA) in Santarem. Every year in June, people flock to the city to experience the unique FNA fair and get a glimpse of the several agricultural exhibitions held here daily. See appealing displays of handicrafts and agricultural machinery and attend a variety of exciting and educative seminars and conferences.

Feira Nacional da Agricultura

Address: Santarem, Portugal

Website: Feira Nacional da Agricultura

Opening hours: June

29. BPM Portugal, Algrave [Last event in 2019]

The BPM Festival is a fabulous electronic festival held in several top locations around the world and Portugal is no exception. Held in the southern coastal town of Portimao, this grand music carnival lasts for four days and features some of the biggest names in techno and electro music. Jam to live performances, dance as selected talented DJs hone their craft in party venues, beachside stages, clubs, and all the party points in town. Every September, this fiesta offers you the ideal place to party to electronic music.

BPM Portugal, Algrave

Address: Praia da Rocha, Portimão, Portugal

Website: BPM Portugal, Algrave

Takes place: September

30. RFM Somnii, Figueira da Foz

How would you like to party on the beach, with the sun, seaside breeze, drinks, food, and lots of great electronic music blaring from huge speakers? For three days every July, the quiet beach town of Figueira da Foz will be transformed into the biggest party destination in the country with the RFM Somnii. It is an unmissable music event usually held on the sprawling beach of Praia do Relogio, and it brings the largest, fun-filled sunset beach party to the town.

RFM Somnii, Figueira da Foz

Address: Praia Do Relógio, Figueira da Foz, 3080, Portugal

Website: RFM Somnii, Figueira da Foz

Takes place: July

Enjoy an amazing cultural experience by attending festivals

Blessed with several natural treasures, majestic castles, and vibrant cultures and traditions, the beautiful nation of Portugal is one of the best places to spend a vacation. The captivating country has so much to offer with all its natural endowments and economic and technological growth. Several tourists also visit to take part in some of the top festivals in Portugal. These carnival events are held yearly and offer the best ways to experience the culture of the country and have fun, too. Book your beach holiday or vacation rental now and get ready for some electric experience in Portugal!