Festas Juninas Celebration Guide for Brazil and Portugal
One Planet Journey’s Gabriela Costa, a Brazilian journalist, dives into the joyful chaos of São João. The legendary June Festivals, Festas Juninas, sees enormous celebrations in both Brazil and Portugal. Learn how to celebrate this festival through hammer taps and glowing lanterns in Porto to the forró beats and corn-based treats of Caruaru in Brazil. Gabriela travels to two of the most iconic festivities across the Atlantic to give you everything you need to know about these feasts of colour, music, tradition, and cultural pride. If you’ve ever wondered which country hosts the better bash, this is your guide.
São João Festa Junina – June midsummer festivals in Caruaru and Porto
One of Brazil’s most popular festivities has its roots in Europe. Via Catholic origins, the June festivals (Festas Juninas) trace back to countries like Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy. Through Portuguese colonisation, this tradition came to Brazil, in its original form, as a festival to honour saints. Over time, it has evolved into one of the country’s most celebrated cultural expressions.
Today, both Brazil and Portugal continue to honour this festive season, albeit in quite different styles. That’s why I visited the two cities known for hosting the largest Festas Juninas in Brazil and Portugal: Caruaru and Porto. They both show how São João (Saint John) can be magical on both sides of the Atlantic.
In Portugal, the lovely city of Porto gathers thousands of people on the night of 23 June to celebrate São João. You can expect fireworks, colourful lanterns, and playful hammer taps on the head. Don’t worry, I’ll explain this quirky tradition!
Meanwhile, it is in Caruaru, a small city in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, that you will find the biggest São João festival in the world. During an entire month of celebration, millions of visitors flock there. The key dates you have to keep in mind are Saint Anthony (13 June), Saint John (24 June), and Saint Peter (29 June).
Both festivals are joyous, with plenty of music, food, and unique traditions. For deep travellers, looking for meaningful experiences, I’d recommend going to both places. But, if you’re torn between which region offers the best Festas Juninas, let me guide you through the highlights of each.
Festas Juninas in Porto, Portugal
If you’ve visited Porto, you are familiar with the narrow streets. Throughout June, imagine them filled with the aroma of grilled sardines. You have to try sardines in Portugal anyway. Colourful decorations and live music create a festive mood. Lively dancing and abundant street food offerings keep locals and visitors busy. It’s an inclusive atmosphere, welcoming families, the elderly, and young fun seekers alike.
On the night of June 23rd, the real magic unfolds. I’d even say it’s the biggest celebration in the city, maybe even in the country. It feels like no one has stayed home.
Now, back to those hammer taps. It’s a playful tradition: people roam the streets with plastic toy hammers of all sizes, gently tapping each other on the head. See it as a light-hearted gesture, designed to spark laughter and unexpected connections. The tradition took off in the 1960s. Vendors sold plastic hammers as a fun alternative to the traditional leeks used to “stroke” people during the celebrations. Because of the cheerful colours and squeaky sounds, the hammers quickly became a symbol of Porto’s São João. It’s hard to not to prefer them over the leeks.
Fireworks on the Douro River in Porto
As night approaches, you move with the crowds towards the banks of the Douro River. Most of the action takes place near the iconic Dom Luís I Bridge, which links Porto to the neighbouring suburb of Vila Nova de Gaia. Be sure to arrive a bit ahead of time to claim a prime riverside spot. lookout points. Some even find places on boats, waiting in anticipation for the fireworks show.
Before the show commences, participants fill the sky with glowing lanterns. As you’d expect, the result is breathtaking. A sea of lights floating above the city. In this quiet moment, anticipation rules, and all eyes turn to the skies.
Then, at midnight, the coordinated fireworks light up the night above the Douro. It is now, during this amazing spectacle, that you understand why Porto’s São João is so unforgettable.
When the show ends, there are countless private parties that go on until sunrise. Don’t fret though, if you lack an invitation, there is a party for everyone with live music and street dancing. The goal is simple: celebrate São João in your own style.
Getting to Porto
Porto, Portugal’s second largest city, has plenty of connections to Europe and beyond. International travellers can fly into Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO), which offers direct flights from many European capitals, for example Lisbon, Madrid, and Paris.
From the airport, the city centre is about 25 minutes away by metro (line E), taxi, ride-share or bus. If you’re in Lisbon, there is a fast, 3 hour train to Porto.
Festas Juninas in Caruaru, Brazil – culture, colour, and rural tradition
Now it’s time to join me across the Atlantic in Caruaru, a small city in Brazil’s Northeast, in the semi-arid state of Pernambuco. With that in mind, it’s hard to imagine that Caruaru proudly claims to host the biggest São João festival in the world. Often in close competition with the Brazilian city of Campina Grande.
Let the staggering numbers sink in. Authorities expect the 2025 edition to attract nearly 4 million visitors, generate BRL 690 million (approx. €121 million) in local revenue, and create up to 20,000 jobs. This year’s theme, “From the farm to the capital of São João”, celebrates the rural-to-urban journey of the festivities. Take your pick during 65 days of events spread out on 27 stages and over 1,400 attractions. Big is an understatement.
It all starts in tiny countryside communities in May. Next, it journeys across towns until reaching the main stage in Caruaru. It is from this journey that the festival’s theme originates from.
I visited Caruaru in June and witnessed the spectacle first-hand. It’s a pleasant overload of the senses, an explosion of colour, sound, and flavour. The smell of roasted corn, sweet canjica and pamonha mixed with the aroma of homemade liqueurs still lingers with me. All the while, food stalls served up the best of Northeastern cuisine.
Food and Culture at Festa Junina
June food in Brazil is all about corn. Most dishes are corn-based, reflecting a historical connection with harvest celebrations. This, in turn, is a legacy dating back to Europe’s summer farming rituals.
Food remains a priority during the Brazilian Festas Juninas. In addition to savoury corn treats, you can also indulge in traditional sweets like candied apples, rice pudding and cakes.
If you look to the skies above the dance stages, you will see colourful flags. Forró bands, typical Junina festival music, get everyone dancing close under the moonlight. The colours add a joyful atmosphere, together with the costumes and decorations. It’s full of life.
Caruaru becomes the epicentre of a giant cultural celebration. Alongside classic performances like folk quadrilha dances and forró trios, you’ll find quirky twists like the “gaydrilha” (an LGBTQIA+ quadrilha), dancers on stilts, and huge puppet parades. It reflects the creativity and humour of the local people.
Interview with Pernambuco Government
Speaking to One Planet Journey, Pernambuco government representative Mônica Figueira highlighted how the festival is accessible and inclusive: “There are also handicrafts, a strong culinary presence, and shopping, especially for clothes,” she said.
The June festival circuit extends beyond Caruaru to nearby towns like Gravatá, Bezerros and Arcoverde. In Arcoverde, the spotlight falls on the traditional ‘coco’ rhythm:
“It’s a stomping-style dance where the percussion comes from the dancers’ wooden clogs hitting the ground. It’s like tap dancing, but local and deeply cultural. Absolutely beautiful,” she said.
Mônica also emphasised how widespread the festivities are across Pernambuco. “No matter how small the town, there’s always a central party space, with forró bands, quadrilha dancing, and locals enjoying the celebration in their own way.”
She continues, “It’s for sure worth visiting Caruaru, Gravatá, Bezerros, Arcoverde… It’s all so beautiful. Pernambuco is naturally incredible.”
Caruaru’s São João performances represent a cultural tradition that lies at the heart of Brazil’s Northeast. You’re pulled int by the families’ joy, the locals’ warmth, and their pride in hosting the world’s greatest Festa Junina celebration. For me, the experience proved unforgettable.
Getting to Caruaru, Brazil
Caruaru is about 130 km inland from Recife, the capital of Pernambuco. For international travellers, the smoothest option is to fly into Recife’s Guararapes International Airport (REC). It receives direct flights from cities like Lisbon, Madrid, Miami, and Frankfurt.
From there, you can reach Caruaru by road. It’s about two hours via the well-maintained BR-232 highway. If you want to focus on the festival, many travellers opt for private transfers or organised group tours for a more comfortable trip.
Festas Juninas – A joint cultural expression across the Atlantic
So, will it be the hammer-swinging streets of Porto or the dance-filled stages of Caruaru? Whatever you decide, one thing is clear. The Festas Junina in Brazil and Portugal celebrate cultural identity, creativity and community in a dazzling manner. On both sides of the Atlantic, São João brings people together in joy and tradition. For those of you seeking meaningful, immersive experiences, there’s no better time to visit. Because sometimes the best way to understand a place is to join the party.
Have you been to Portugal and Brazil? Which cities did you visit? Let us know in the comments. Subscribe to our newsletter and benefit from travel guides, sustainable tourism and luxury travel tips, insightful interviews, and inspirational places to visit. One Planet Journey – The World’s First Deep Travel Magazine.
