June in Portugal belongs to the popular saints — Lisbon marches through the night for Santo António among garlands, basil and the smoke of grilled sardines, and Porto stays up until dawn for São João, with fireworks over the city at midnight.
Photo: Taisir85, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
June is the month of the popular saints in Portugal, celebrated across the country on the nights of Saint Anthony, Saint John and Saint Peter. The two festivals in this atlas are Lisbon’s feast of Santo António, the city’s patron saint, on 12 and 13 June, and Porto’s night of São João on 23 June.
Festas de Lisboa (Santo António)
On the night of 12 June, Lisbon’s neighbourhoods parade down the Avenida da Liberdade in the Marchas Populares, while the old quarters, hung with garlands and coloured globes, fill with the smell of grilled sardines and sweet basil for Santo António.
June 12 – 13, 2027Calculated
On the night of 23 June, Porto pours into its streets for its most beloved saint — dancing, grilled sardines, bonfires and a playful tap on the head with a plastic hammer — until fireworks light the sky at midnight and revellers walk to the sea to wait for sunrise.
June 23 – 24, 2027Calculated