The 5 Best Festivals in the Philippines

1. Sinulog Festival in Cebu City, Cebu – The vibrant Festival experience

• The Sinulog Festival in Cebu City is an annual festival that is firmly marked on the calendar of many Filipinos. This festival features plenty of parades, beautiful costumes created especially for the festival and traditional dances that celebrate the central meaning of the festival – the Santo Niño.
• Follow along the street festival and dive right into the real Cebu! See what Sinulog means to the people and what it really is about. Visit welcoming homes that offer traditional Filipino foods and desserts and spread the happiness with the people who make it all possible.
• And if you happen to be on one of the boats that carry out to the sea to celebrate this special festival, then you are one lucky person. It is a one-of-a-kind experience full of dancing, cheering and happy-feelings.
• Make sure you don’t miss this special yearly festival on January!
• Visit their website at https://sinulogfestival.com

2. Kadayawan Festival in Davao City, Davao – The most diverse and colourful Festival

• The Kadayawan Festival is the celebration of Philippines’ diverse culture and unites the island of Mindanao like no other festival. It celebrates the native Filipino tribes and is a way of saying thank you to the great harvests of the year.
• Watch the wonderful street dances with their uniquely designed costumes and get mesmerised in the colours and sounds of the participants and cheering crowds. Eat delicious fruits and Filipino foods, while watching one of the best shows you will ever see in the Philippines!
• Don’t miss out on the Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan during your visit to experience a dance competition you might not see anywhere else again. You will truly feel the Filipino spirit and how powerful the love for its culture is!
• Mark your calendar for the next Kadayawan Festival every August of the year!
• Visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheKadayawanFestival/

3. Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan – The energy of the Ati people

• The Ati-Atihan Festival is a celebration to honor the Santo Niño and a festival full of energy. From sunrise to sunset you will experience a parade and dance performances on land and boat that you will tell anyone about it.
• The festival starts in a calm celebration of the Santo Niño and goes off as longer the day goes. The fiesta is full of cheerful people, music and dancing that showcase the beauty of this island and its people. The drums and chants will move up anyone from their seats to stand and celebrate.
• The festival happens to be in the same week as the Sinulog festival. Choose wisely, or hop from island to island to experience both festivals!
• This must-see festival should be marked well in your January celebration calendar!
• Visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/atiatihanfest.ph/

4. MassKara Festival in Bacolod, Negros Occidental – The many faces of the smiling mask

• Masks are everywhere at the MassKara Festival in Bacolod. The City of Smiles (how Bacolod is often called) will embrace you with colourful masks that smile at you and grab your attention with dances to celebrate the Filipino strength and resilience despite hardships.
• The beautiful dance competition will take you in and you will experience not just the many faces but a colourful traditional fiesta that you will not forget. Dance with locals and enjoy a festival that makes everybody smile and enjoy the spirit of Bacolod.
• Get ready to have a lot of fun at this festival and eat the delicious foods they are known for.
• Have your own smiling mask with you and visit this one-day festival at the end of October every year!
• Find more information on Philippines’ tourism website at https://philippines.travel/events/masskara-festival

5. Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon – The enchanted town of Lucban

• The Pahiyas Festival is the biggest harvest festival in the Philippines in honor of San Isidro, the farmer, known as Pahiyas. Colour is everywhere at this beautiful festival and you will see every house showing off in their own colourful way to celebrate this special fiesta.
• In this short period of the year you will see amazing decorations that are created every year anew and you will find lots of fruits and foods in front of the houses to give thanks for the good harvest. It is a magical experience and one should at least visit it one time to see how the place transforms.
• Watch the parade to get a feeling of how important this festival is to the people of this small town and its neighbours.
• Visit Lucban on May 15 every year to celebrate and experience this beautiful festival!
• For more information visit their website at https://pahiyasfestival.online

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