Schedules of Philippine Festivals in 2023

The Philippines is a giant hub of cultural grandeur as exhibited in its plethora of festivals celebrated practically everywhere in the country. Lumina Homes have penned a number of blogs about the most notable and crowd-drawing festivals anticipated annually for their exceptionally festive atmosphere and as a source of stupendous entertainment for the locals and tourists.

Below, we listed down the tentative schedules of Philippine festivals to look forward to next year. From Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo to the Giant Lantern Festival in Pampanga, let's explore the Philippines for all its iridescent beauty and grandeur through its culture-showcasing festivals from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao islands.

Disclaimer: Schedules can change due to unforeseen circumstances without notice.

January

Ati-Atihan Festival

Date: January 15, 2023

Location: Aklan

Celebrated in Aklan in honor of the Infant Jesus, the town's patron saint, Ati-Atihan is held annually in the province featuring a street parade of colorfully clad dancers in tribal costumes. The festival is distinct from others for how its tribal dancers' skins are darkened with soot. "Hala Bira!" is then shouted by the procession of dancers to accentuate the festival highlights and vivify the crowd.

Sinulog Festival

Date: January 15, 2023

Location: Cebu City, Cebu, Central Visayas

Known to be the “First Queen of Festivals, ” Sinulog is a showcase of cultural beauty in Cebu province every third week of January. Cebu province is where Magellan first landed and introduced Christianity, and Sinulog as a dancing act is a cultural-religious festival depicting a long history that led to the country being such a predominantly Christian nation.

Dinagyang Festival

January 22, 2023

Location: Iloilo City, Iloilo, Western Visayas

Merrily commemorated every fourth Sunday of January, Dinagyang is a cultural festival in Iloilo meaning "merrymaking." Just like the first two January festivals, Ati-Atihan and Sinulog, the people of Iloilo celebrate the occasion in honor of the Santo Niño. It features a grand street parade and festive music, alongside food bazaars exhibiting local delicacies in the province. Being such a crowd-drawer with its series of enjoyable events, the Dinagyang Festival has rightfully earned its moniker as the “Queen of All Philippine Festivals.”

February

Panagbenga Festival

Date: February 1, 2023

Location: Baguio City, Benguet, Northern Luzon

Baguio City, prominently known as the City of Pines and Summer Capital of the Philippines, is home to the annual flower festival called Panagbenga. The colorful festival happily commemorates the rich history, culture, traditions, values and traits of the city and the Cordillera region. Panagbenga translates to "Season of Blossoming," and is patronized by tourists who come in droves to witness the festival made perfect with the perpetually colder weather of Baguio.

Hamaka Festival

Tentative Date: February 12-18, 2023

Location: Taytay, Rizal, Southern Luzon

Taytay Rizal's Hamaka Festival is a week-long yearly held festival exhibiting both admiration and appreciation for the collective artistry of the town's prolific artists. "Hamaka" is an acronym for three notable industries in Rizal province, especially in Taytay, namely Hamba (or woodworking), Makina (or sewing machines), and Kasuotan (or clothing). The festival highlights a variety of cultural activities, such as street parades, dance competitions, concerts, and beauty pageants, among others. 

Paraw Regatta Festival (February 19, 2023)

Another one of Iloilo's festivals Paraw Regatta held every third Sunday of February in the city's Villa de Arevalo district. The festival boasts a tall distinction of being the oldest traditional craft event in the whole of Asia and the biggest sailing event in the country. The main highlight of the event is a sailboat race in Iloilo Strait featuring the Paraw, a Visayan double outrigger sailboat. The Paraw Regatta was launched as a half-day sailboat race but has since turned into a citywide festival.

March

Alimango Festival

Date: March 22, 2023

Location: Lala, Lanao del Norte, Mindanao

Our first stop to Mindanao is within the town of Lala in Lanao del Norte, where the famous Alimango Festival is being held to highlight the wealth of crabs in the area. Aside from a lively, vibrant street dancing parade with dancers decked out in crab-themed attire, activities during the festival will host a crab race, a crab competition, and an agricultural trade fair for locals and tourists.

April

Moriones Festival

Date: April 2-8, 2023

Location: Marinduque Province, Southern Luzon

The month of April is the official start of the Holy Week, and Moriones Festival in Marinduque province is a perfect destination to spiritually reflect on the occasion. The religious festival starts during the Holy Monday and culminates on Easter Sunday. Marinduque locals get to participate in the retelling of a story of the Roman soldiers searching for Saint Longinus. Participants are then clad in costumes, helmets, or masks imitating the attire of the Imperial Roman soldiers.

May

Pahiyas Festival

Date: May 15, 2023

Location: Lucban, Quezon, Southern Luzon

It is expected that in every Philippine festival, a street parade is something ever-present in the celebration. But Lucban residents in Quezon province revel in the Pahiyas Festival with the splendid display of houses decorated with the town'sbountiful harvests, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and the native kiping, a leaf-shaped wafer made out of glutinous rice. Celebrated every 15th of May, it stands as one of the most popular and well-regarded festivals in the Philippines for its uniqueness. The annual festival is a tribute to San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of agricultural workers.

Obando Festival

Date: May 17-19, 2023

Location: Obando, Bulacan, Central Luzon

Another famous and unique cultural and Catholic-themed festival is the Obando Festival in Obando town, province of Bulacan. This is being observed and primarily catered to women and couples in general who are having a hard time conceiving a child, and hence their attendance in the festival serves as a prayerful thinking that they will get pregnant soon after the occasion. The annual festival honors Our Lady of Salambaw, St. Paschal Baylon, and St. Clare of Assi. Attendees who pray for pregnancy are expected and encouraged to perform a ritual fertility dance, having heard stories from locals that participating in the festival had their wish of pregnancy granted.

Flores de Mayo

Date: May 1-30, 2023

This festival in the Philippines is celebrated everywhere in the country during the advent of the month of May, which celebrates, commemorates, and pays respects to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The highlight of this country-wide festival is the Santacruzan, where young ladies and gentlemen are clad in magnificent gowns, Barong Tagalog, and flowers during the parade and procession.

June

Hibok-Hibok Festival

Date: June 24, 2023

Location: The whole of Camiguin province, Northern Mindanao

Kickstarting the month of June for Philippine festivals is Hibok-Hibok in Camiguin Island. The annual Hibok-Hibok is being conducted in honor of St. John Baptist with a fluvial procession, a parade of street dancers donning multicolored costumes, parlor games, and water sports competitions. After a Holy Mass attendance, people congregate to express their reverence and pay respects to the patron saint by proceeding to the beach. Even though June marks the end of summer, the people of Camiguin fulfill an old tradition of hitting the beach for fun.

Pinyasan Festival

Tentative Date: June 24-25, 2023

Location: Daet, Camarines Norte, Bicol Region

Representing the Bicol Region is the Pinyasan Festival in the municipality of Daet, province of Camarines Norte. The Pineapple festival exhibits the province's wealth of its primary agricultural produce, the Formosa, considered the sweetest pineapple. The annual celebration showcasing Camarines Norte's copious pineapple products features colorful street dancing performances, a grand display of creatively crafted floats, an agro-industrial fair, and local competitions to entertain locals and tourist guests.

Lami-Lamihan Festival

Date: June 29, 2023

Location: Lamihan, Basilan, Bangsamoro Region

Just like many festivals in the Philippines, Lami-Lamihan is celebrated alongside the founding anniversary of the municipality. Lami-Lamihan is an annually observed festival and celebration in Lamitan in Basilan province to honor St. Peter. Traditionally held every 29th of June, the festival showcases a mix of Catholic and Yakan traditions, where people clad themselves in vibrant costumes and in dazzling costumes for street dancing, and participate in horse races and other activities to keep locals and guests greatly amused.

July

Sandugo Festival

Date: July 1, 2023

Location: Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Central Visayas

Bohol is a massive tourism destination for the Chocolate Hills, but aside from its natural attractions, various festivals are also held in Bohol annually, including the Sandugo Festival in Tagbilaran City. The festival is annually observed to commemorate the Treaty of Friendship in 1565 between local chieftain Datu Sikatuna and Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi. The anticipated main event is the reenactment of the historic blood compact between the Bohol chieftain and the Spanish conquistador. The Sandugo festivities also feature a variety of competitions and pageants to entertain the crowd.

Pagoda Festival

Date: July 2, 2023

Location: Bocaue, Bulacan, Central Luzon

Also known as Bocaue River Festival, Pagoda is an annual religious commemoration of the founding anniversary of the miraculous cross floating on the said Bocaue River. The Bulacan festival highlights the river procession devoted to the Catholic relic, the Holy Cross of Wawa.

August

Kadayawan Festival

Tentative Date: August 14-20, 2023

Location: Davao City, Davao del Sur, Davao Region

The Kadayawan Festival in Davao City is one of the most crowd-drawing Philippine festivals. The name of the festive celebration traces its origin from the Mandaya term “madayaw,” which refers to something regarded as of value. This mostly refers to the city's ample harvests, making the festival a thanksgiving celebration for the "blessings." Once upon a time, this abundance of crops prompt ethnic Davao tribes to congregate and perform rituals to pay their respects and utmost gratitude to the gods of nature. The Kadayawan Festival features a street dancing competition with costumes and choreography showcasing Mindanao's culture and heritage.

Gigantes Festival

Date: August 19, 2023

Location: Lucban, Quezon, Southern Luzon

Another one of Lucban's festivals is Gigantes, traditionally held every 19th of August. The Gigantes Festival in Lucban town began as part of the Corazon de Jesus commemoration, celebrated in honor of and tribute to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The annual religious festival is celebrated with giant paper-mâché puppets, which will then be exhibited and paraded along the streets of Lucban. 

September

Bicol Food Festival

Date: September 1-30, 2023

Location: Naga City, Camarines Sur, Bicol Region

A festival of foods is what Naga City's Bicol Food Festival has to offer its residents and food-loving tourists and guests. A month-long celebration of Bicol's rich cuisine will be highlighted during the entirety of the event, which includes the ever-famous Bicol Express, but also many other Bicolano specialties such as laing, tilmak, cocido, and pecadillo.

Busig-on Festival

Tentative Date: September 7-9, 2023

Location: Labo, Camarines Norte, Bicol Region

Joining the Bicol Food Festival in the region is the Busig-on Festival in the province of Camarines Norte in Labo town. At the annual festival, Bicolano values and traits are highlighted and portrayed through talent competitions and shows to keep everyone from their place in a sea of jubilant Bicolano crowds.

Peñafrancia Festival

Date: September 17, 2023

Location: Naga City, Camarines Sur, Bicol Region

Earning a tall recognition for being one of the largest Marian gatherings in the Asian continent, The Peñafrancia Festival in Naga City is a massive crowd-getter in the Bicol region. Traditionally held every third Sunday of September, it honors the Bicol Region's patron saint, Our Lady of Peñafrancia. The festival features a fluvial procession, the crowning of Miss Bicolandia, and a float competition, to name a few.

October

MassKara Festival

Date: October 1-30, 2023

Location: Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Western Visayas

Inarguably one of the most famous and memorable festivals in the Philippines is the MassKara Festival in the proverbial City of Smiles. Last October, it was graced by President Bongbong Marcos, a testament to its prominence as a provincial festival known nationally. "MassKara" was conceived to lift the spirits of locals and bring back smiles to their faces despite being confronted with challenges in life. The MassKara Festival is a month-long celebration with concerts, grand parades, food bazaars, street dances, sports events, and many other competitions for the entire October.

November

Pintaflores Festival

Date: November 1-7, 2023

Location: San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, Western Visayas

Another festival entry from Negros Occidental is the Pintaflores celebration in San Carlos City. The Pintaflores Festival mixes the art of tattoos (pinta) and the blossoming of flowers (flores), bringing about an unforgettable festival experience for Negrenses and tourists. Held during the first week of November, the festival features street dancers clad in brightly colored costumes with their faces painted and their bodies tattooed. 

December

Giant Lantern Festival

Tentative Date: December 16, 2023

Location: City of San Fernando, Pampanga, Central Luzon

Culminating this list of Philippine festivals for next year is the Giant Lantern Festival in the ever-booming City of San Fernando, province of Pampanga. This is a perfect destination for the holiday season, where giant, dazzling, and colorful lanterns will surely captivate spectators. The lantern-making is an annual competition between barangays in San Fernando, Pampanga, with the winner receiving a cash prize from the local government. If you are still looking for a Christmas destination to visit this December, the City of San Fernando with its lantern festival is an ideal choice.

Also read: Christmas Villages in the Philippines You Must Visit

Welcome 2023 with a New House and Lot Through Lumina Homes

With just a few days before Christmas and New Year, many Filipinos have already greeted each other with a very advanced merry Christmas as early as September, owing to our tradition of celebrating the holiday season long enough to make the Philippines known as a country with immense anticipation for the most important holiday of the year.

If you fancy a new, quality, yet affordable house and lot for sale just before the year ends, Lumina Homes offers just what you're looking for in a real estate investment: an affordable house and lot with guaranteed quality, complete with amenities, perks, and other homeownership conveniences. Drop us a message via our website and we will help you get your brand-new house and lot in the Philippines.