Lagos hosts a handful of annual events that range from centuries-old religious festivals to modern music gatherings. The calendar peaks in August with the town’s flagship Discoveries festival, but there is something happening in most months outside the deep winter. Most events are free and take place in the old town squares or along the waterfront. Booking accommodation a few weeks ahead is sensible for the August festival period, when hotel occupancy in Lagos routinely exceeds 90%.
Lagos Events and Festivals: What Is On Throughout the Year
Carnival (February or March, varies annually)
Like most Portuguese towns, Lagos celebrates Carnival with a parade of floats, costumed dancers, and samba music along Avenida dos Descobrimentos. The main parade happens on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, with a children’s parade on the preceding Friday. Bars and restaurants in the old town stay open late. It is smaller and more family-oriented than the big Carnival celebrations in Loule or Torres Vedras, but it brings a lively weekend crowd and hotel rates tick up modestly.
Festa de Sao Goncalo (first weekend of May, dates vary)
A traditional religious festival honoring the patron saint of the local fishing community. A statue of Sao Goncalo is carried in procession from the Igreja de Santa Maria to the marina, accompanied by fishing boats decorated with flowers. After the procession, the town square fills with stalls selling grilled sardines, caldo verde (kale soup), and local wine. This is a small, authentic local event rather than a tourist spectacle.
Santos Populares (second and third weeks of June)
The popular saints’ festivals take over the old town for two weeks in June. Each neighborhood (bairro) decorates its streets with colored streamers and paper lanterns and sets up a grill serving sardines on bread (sardinha no pao) for 2 to 3 EUR. The biggest nights are June 12 (Santo Antonio, in the old town center), June 23 (Sao Joao, near the marina), and June 28 (Sao Pedro, in the Bensafrim area). Expect loud music until 2am, dancing in the squares, and the smell of charcoal-grilled fish on every street corner. This is a genuinely local celebration that tourists are welcome to join.
Festival dos Descobrimentos (mid-August, typically August 13 to 17)
Lagos’s largest annual event, the Discoveries Festival, transforms the old town into a 15th-century market with historical reenactments, jousting tournaments, live music on multiple stages, and food stalls lining the streets. The theme celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery, with costumed actors portraying sailors, merchants, and royalty from the era of Henry the Navigator. A large handicraft market with 100+ stalls sells ceramics, cork products, and local foodstuffs. The festival runs over 5 days (usually Wednesday through Sunday) centered on the weekend closest to August 15. Entry is free. The Saturday night concert draws the biggest crowd; arrive by 9pm for a good spot at the main stage on Praca do Infante.
Festa de Nossa Senhora da Luz (late August or early September)
Held in the neighboring village of Luz (5km west of Lagos), this religious festival features a candlelit procession from the church to the beach, followed by fireworks over the bay. Bus service from Lagos to Luz runs until midnight during the festival. It marks the end of the summer festival season in the western Algarve. For more details, see our where to stay in Lagos guide. For more details, see our Lagos travel tips guide.
Sao Martinho (November 11)
The feast of Saint Martin brings chestnut roasting (castanhas assadas) and the first tastings of the year’s new wine (agua-pe). In Lagos, the Mercado Municipal area hosts stalls selling hot chestnuts, jeropiga (a sweet fortified wine), and local honey. It is a one-day event, very local, and a good excuse to visit during the quiet November low season. For more details, see our things to do in Lagos guide. For more details, see our Lagos neighborhoods guide guide.
Christmas and New Year (December 24 to January 1)
From early December, Praca Gil Eanes hosts a small Christmas market with wooden huts selling mulled wine, roasted almonds, and handicrafts. On New Year’s Eve, the municipality puts on a fireworks display launched from the marina breakwater at midnight. The waterfront bars and clubs along Avenida dos Descobrimentos stay open until dawn. Hotel rates spike from December 28 through January 2, so book early if visiting for New Year. For more details, see our Lagos weather by month guide. For more details, see our best time to visit Lagos guide.
