Featured Content by Guide to the Philippines
Experience the colorful culture of the Philippines by joining the vibrant festivals around the country. What and where are the top festivals that are worth traveling to? When should you schedule your trip to experience these festivals? What are the highlights of these festivals? Read on to find out about these fun festivals in the Philippines.
Filipinos are known around the world not only for its attractions included in top tours but for their love to get together and celebrate. A proof of this is the long list of festivals in the country.
There are a number of holidays, long weekends and top festivals in the Philippines happening throughout the year. These vibrant festivals are characterized by the history, artistry, creativity, and passion of the people. While some of them take place for just a day, a lot of them are celebrating for a week and even for an entire month.
Travelers are attracted by these celebrations, along with the energetic, colorful, and fun environment they create. In fact, some of the celebrations are some of Asia’s most popular festivals.
Here is a list of the best and must-see festivals in the Philippines:
11. Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
When: Every Second Week of February
Where: Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Pampanga
Unlike most of the traditional festivals in the country, the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is an extraordinary one and is often hailed as one of the top tourist spots in Pampanga.
This 4-day festivity surprises and delights the attendees with things and activities that include flying, skydiving, formation flying, paragliding, aerobatic displays, and hot air balloons. People all over the country and across the world gather during February to experience Asia’s longest-running sports event and to celebrate the heart’s day with their loved ones.
10. Giant Lantern Festival
When: Every Weekend Before Christmas Eve
Where: San Fernando City, Pampanga
Anyone will feel the holiday vibes during the Giant Lantern Festival in Pampanga. San Fernando City or the Christmas Capital of the Philippines organizes the competition of giant lanterns during the weekend before Christmas Eve.
Participants create gigantic and bright lanterns made from locally sourced materials and parade them to each barrio in Pampanga before the midnight mass of Christmas. Add some Pampanga activities to make your Christmas excursion more special.
9. MassKara Festival
When: Every 19th of October
Where: Bacolod City
The MassKara Festival in Bacolod is a giant masquerade party hailing from the country’s City of Smiles. Thousands of young people wear colorful masks decorated with flowers, feathers, beads, and paints.
Aside from joining Bacolod trips, make sure to participate in the MassKara festival to get a full picture of Bacolod. It’s filled with people wearing festive costumes and masks while dancing with the beat of the loud music and spreading the friendly, welcoming, and happy atmosphere.
8. Pintados Festival
When: Every 29th of June
Where: Tacloban City
A religious festival celebrated in the name of Santo Nino, the locals of Tacloban City parade around the city with their bodies and faces painted with vibrant colors of green and blue, which symbolizes Leyte’s ancestral people.
Locals fill the street and perform traditional dances in honor of Santo Nino. Some dancers also use designs that look like arbors to depict warriors who lived in Leyte decades ago. Join a Tacloban day tour to fully experience the province to the fullest.
7. Aliwan Festival
When: Every Last Weekend of April
Where: Pasay City
Although relatively new, the Aliwan Festival in Manila, particularly in Pasay, is by far one of the most popular festivals in the Philippines. Due to its popularity for Filipinos and foreigners, it is called the “Mother of all Festivals.”
This festivity, which started in early 2003, is known as more of a competition than a festival. It aims to promote the diversity in the country, with thousands of participants showcasing their cultures, and the winner bringing home a million pesos as the cash prize.
6. Kadayawan Festival
When: Every Third Week of August
Where: Davao City
Davao City brings its locals and residents in the biggest celebration of Kadayawan.
Kadayawan Festival takes place during the third week of August. You can try Davao tours or watch the flourish with street dancing, beauty pageants, floral floats, and fireworks displays. Locals also showcase flowers, fruits, and other products from the city.
5. Dinagyang Festival
When: Every Fourth Weekend of January
Where: Iloilo City
The people of Iloilo takes street dancing into a whole new level during the Dinagyang Festival.
The whole city of Iloilo transforms into a huge street party complete with bands in every corner and street performers. Mouthwatering and overflowing local delicacies and drinks are served while watching the performances. To cap everything off, barangays and schools compete against each other on a street dancing contest.
4. Pahiyas Festival
When: Every 15th of May
Where: Lucban, Quezon
During the month of May, Lucban showcases a unique harvest festival also known as the Pahiyas Festival.
Locals decorate their homes in lively and vibrant colors. Farm produce like handicrafts, fruits, vegetables, and kiping (rice wafers) are hanging around the houses as decorations. People also bring in their own baskets and pick the fresh produce – free of charge!
3. Moriones Festival
When: Every Holy Week
Where: Province of Marinduque
During the Holy Week in the country, people flock to Marinduque to experience the weeklong celebration of St. Longinus: the Moriones Festival.
Combining the Catholic pageantry with folk mysticism, people wear helmets and don in centurion costumes to reenact the beautiful and theatrical play where one of the locals play the role of St. Longinus and hide among the houses while the others search for him. It’s a great way to spend meaningful time in the province aside from joining Marinduque excursions.
2. Panagbenga Festival
When: Every February
Where: Baguio City
Panagbenga or the Season of Blooming is one of the longest Philippine festivals, observed during the entire month of February in Baguio.
This festival highlights the bountiful blooming of the flowers and to pay tribute to the rising up of the city from the 1990 Luzon earthquake.
During the festival, expect beautiful parades of floats made from different flowers, parading throughout the city, followed by children and adults adorned as flora and fauna.
1. Ati-Atihan Festival
When: Every Third Week of January
Where: Kalibo, Aklan
The Ati-Atihan Festival is known as the granddaddy of the festivals in the Philippines, the celebration that started many festivals in the country. This festival in Aklan is also one of the oldest and is known as the best and the biggest Mardi Gras in the Philippines.
This grand festival lasts for the whole week, often starting its peak during the third Sunday of the month of January. With activities set from sunrise to sunset, people are parading on the streets with colorful paints on their faces and wearing indigenous costumes.
The highlights of Ati-Atihan Festival are the tribal dances, the booming drum beats, the loud chants, and the Catholic rituals, which will surely make any visitor dance their heart out.