Faro Events, Things to Do and Festivals

(Faro, Algarve, Portugal)

Some of the leading festivals and fiestas in the whole of the Algarve are staged in and around Faro, ranging from Portuguese sporting events to celebrations of a religious nature. Those holidaying in Faro during the middle of October will be able to join in the fun at the city's largest festival, the Feira de Santa Iria, which always draws large crowds.

Faro is famous for many of its festivals, with the biggest sporting events usually being staged at the Estadio Algarve Algarve Stadium, a 30,000-seater stadium where football matches, athletics championships and even concerts are staged.


Also known for its love of motorcycling, Faro plays host to a renowned motorcycle rally each year in late June / early July, which is amongst Europe's largest of its kind and is known as the Rallye Biker, seeing a parade of motorbikes riding through the streets.

Faro Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015: General Information

Other prominent events, which have become part of the city's annual calendar include:

• Carnival (Carnaval) - February, enormous carnival festivities are held all through Portugal, with decorated floats and processions taking to the streets of Faro
• International Music Festival - April / May, with classical music performances by leading Portuguese orchestras, such as both the Orquestra do Algarve and also the Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa (Lisbon). Concerts often take place at the Teatro das Figuras
• Student's Festival (Semana Académica) - mid-May, organised annually by the students of the Semana Académica da Universidade do Algarve
• Corpus Christi (Corpo de Deus) - June, an annual festival celebrated throughout Portugal
• Ria Formosa Festival - August, with seafood, local beer and all kinds of traditional dishes from all over the Algarve, based in Faro city centre and in particular, at the Cathedral Square
• Sardine Festival - August, offering the chance to enjoy some very tasty, grilled sardines from the surrounding waters
• Faro Holiday Festival - September 7th, always a big crowd pleaser for the city
• All Saints' Day (All Soul's Day) - November 1st, a national holiday in Portugal, with various parties and processions
• Independence Day - December 1st, featuring various events in and around central Faro, culminating in a spectacular evening fireworks display
• New Year's Eve (Vespera de Ano Novo) - December 31st, with countless parties and the Portuguese traditional event of eating grapes at midnight