7 ways to celebrate St John's Festivity in Porto

First of all, if you want to know a little bit more about the traditions that are celebrated on St. John's Day in Porto we recommend you first read our blog post titled Festivity of São João. Once you have read about the traditional festival then you are ready to celebrate with friends and locals. And here we recommend you 7 things to do to celebrate this amazing day. But remember, the festivities start on the 23rd already, the evening before St. John's Day (June 24th). 

1) Eat sardines and drink vinho verde:

Grilled sardines and green wine are the typical staples of St. John’s Festivity. Sardines are at their plumpest as they are in season, and the locals and restaurants usually have barbecues in the street to grill them out at your own taste. Green wine is the wine of the region and should be drunk very chilled!

2) Enjoy the concerts and street performances the night before:

Numerous concerts are organised in different parts of the city. Don't miss the opportunity to enjoy the music and entertainment in the streets of Porto. 

3) Enjoy the attractions and small restaurants in the Fontainhas neighbourhood:

In this very local neighbourhood in the centre of Porto, there is a big party going on around this viewpoint. The restaurants themselves set up large terraces with barbecues, and new stalls crowd the neighbourhood with typical food while you listen to local music. 

4) Buy a fairground hammer:

And take advantage of the fact that this is the only day of the year that you can hammer people on the head. This is a symbol of good luck and you tap the people you meet along the way to spread good luck and have a few laughs, but be careful, as they might tap you back with the same intensity, so let’s be chill about it. 

5) Fly lanterns on the night of the 23rd:

It will be a spectacular night when the sky will be illuminated by the lights of these lanterns. Those can be found in any convenience store, or even in the mini market barracks set around the city.

Locals flying lanters in São João Festivity.

6) Finish the longest night of the year by watching the fireworks display at midnight:

We recommend that you go down in advance and try to find a good position in the Ribeira, from where you can see a fireworks cascade from the Luis I Bridge towards the Douro River that will be impressive. A spectacle that lasts a long time but will be unforgettable. 

7) On St John’s Day itself (24th June) celebrate the hangover by watching one of the most picturesque spectacles in Oporto:

the regatta of “rabelo traditional boats” on the Douro River that starts at 4pm on the 24th itself at Foz do Douro, the mouth of the Douro, and ends at the Luis I Bridge. 

And now that you know how to celebrate this festivity, let's enjoy it like a local! Happy São João!