City guide
São João in Braga: Where to Stay for the Festival
São João, the feast of Saint John the Baptist, is Braga's great summer festival. For about a week in June the city fills with music, folk groups and stalls, and on the night of 23 June it stays up until dawn. This guide covers what usually happens, where to stay to walk to it, and how to plan the trip.
When it happens
The festival always ends on 24 June, Saint John's Day, and in recent years it has started about a week earlier. The high point is the night of 23 to 24 June. The organisers publish each year's programme in late May or early June on saojoaobraga.pt, so check the times there before you plan around a particular event.
The night of 23 June
In recent programmes the 23rd has started in the morning, with bands in Largo de São João do Souto, giant figures (gigantones and cabeçudos) dancing in Praça da República and brass band concerts in Largo do Paço, by the cathedral.
At night the Cortejo das Rusgas, a parade of more than twenty folk groups, has gone from Campo das Hortas to Largo de São João da Ponte, while concerts play in the Parque da Ponte and on a stage on Avenida Central. Around one in the morning, fireworks have been launched from Monte Picoto over the São João da Ponte area, and the music carries on afterwards.
The crowd walks the streets carrying leeks and plastic hammers to tap each other on the head, the old São João tradition of the north of Portugal.
Saint John's Day, 24 June
On the morning of the 24th, recent programmes have had a procession with the traditional floats of the festival: the Carro das Ervas (the herb cart), King David's cart and the Shepherds' cart, with the dance of King David. In the late afternoon, the solemn procession of Saint John the Baptist has left from the cathedral.
During the week, look out for the cascatas sanjoaninas, small scenes built around a figure of Saint John, which compete in a contest.
Stay in the historic centre to walk to everything
Almost everything happens in the old town and down towards the Parque da Ponte, so staying in the centre means you can walk to the parade and the fireworks, go back to rest, and come out again without a car or a taxi on the busiest night of the year.
Our two apartments on Largo do Paço are next to the cathedral, where several of the festival's concerts and processions take place. Expect music and crowds in the square during the day and late into the night of the 23rd: that is part of being at the centre of it.
Coming by car
Streets on the parade route close and parking in the centre is very hard during the festival. If you are driving, stay outside the old town with a parking space of your own and walk or take a taxi in for the evening. Our larger Braga apartment, east of the centre, has free private parking and room for a family or a group of friends.
Tips for the festival
Plan to stay up late on the 23rd and to start slowly on the 24th. Wear comfortable shoes, keep a light jacket for the early hours, and agree on a meeting point with your group, because the streets get very crowded.
The festival brings many visitors to Braga, and the places closest to the centre fill first, so book as soon as you know your dates. You can book directly with us, the owners, with no platform fees.
How far things are from our apartments
| Place | Rua Engenheiro José Justino de Amorim | Largo do Paço |
|---|---|---|
| Sé de Braga | 1.5 km | 83 m |
| Braga Municipal Market | 1.7 km | 0.4 km |
| Braga Train Station | 2 km | 0.7 km |
| Braga Bus Station | 1.7 km | 0.6 km |
| Bom Jesus do Monte | 2.9 km | 4.1 km |
Where to stay: our apartments
Feel At Home - Free private parking
Rua Engenheiro José Justino de Amorim 82, 4715-023 Braga, Portugal
Feel at Home - Largo do Paço
9 Largo do Paço 2ºE, 4700-320 Braga, Portugal
Feel at Home - Sé de Braga
9 Largo do Paço 2ºE, 4700-320 Braga, Portugal
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When is São João in Braga?
It ends on 24 June every year, and in recent years it has started about a week before. The main night is 23 to 24 June. The programme is published on saojoaobraga.pt.
What time are the São João fireworks in Braga?
In recent years, around one in the morning on the night of 23 to 24 June, launched from Monte Picoto over the São João da Ponte area. Check the year's programme for the exact time.
Where should I stay for São João in Braga?
In the historic centre, if you want to walk to the parade, the concerts and the fireworks. If you are driving, a place with private parking just outside the old town avoids the closed streets.
Why do people carry leeks and plastic hammers?
It is the São João tradition in the north of Portugal: on the night of the 23rd, people tap each other on the head with a leek or a plastic hammer as they walk the streets. It is all in good fun.
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