Festivals & Events in Faro

Faro's patron saint fair traces back to 1596, when the Earl of Essex sacked and burned the city, forcing it to bounce back with a tax-free open fair. It still runs at Largo de São Francisco in the second half of October: crafts, food stalls, loud rides, and free entry to the grounds.

FOLKFARO is Faro's international folk festival: every August, Portuguese ranchos and guest groups from several countries fill the pedestrian baixa and the marina front with regional costumes, accordion and corridinho. Free access in the open spaces of the centre, parades in the late afternoon, and performances that kick off at night, never under the midday sun.

Festival F takes over Faro's old town: the baixa and the walled Cidade Velha fill with named stages (Arco, Sé, Museu, Ria) in early September. It's a paid event — day or festival pass via Ticketline — and it bills itself as "o último grande festival de verão," Portugal's last big summer send-off.