In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The night is 12 June: the Marchas Populares parade goes down Avenida da Liberdade, free, and in 2026 it began at 21:00. 13 June, St Anthony’s Day, is Lisbon’s own holiday, and the Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower are closed; the São Jorge Castle and the Oceanário are open. In 2027 the two days are a Saturday and a Sunday; the programme is not published. In 2026 the Metro ran until 03:00 on the night, and Avenida station closed at 19:30. Or book a tour: a food and wine walkad (from £59.79, GetYourGuide, 1 October 2026) or a night walk through the old townad (from £16.70) fits an evening when the streets are full.
When it is
The Santos Populares, the “popular saints”, are St Anthony (13 June), St John (24 June) and St Peter (29 June). In Lisbon the weight falls on St Anthony, the city’s patron saint. The date is set by the saint’s day, so it does not move.
- 2026: the Festas de Lisboa ran from 29 to 31 May and 1 to 28 June, with more than 40 events: the Marchas Populares, arraiais, the Casamentos de Santo António, concerts and open-air cinema (aml.pt, 1 October 2026). The Marchas heats were at the MEO Arena in May, the parade was on 12 June, and the festival closed on 26 June at the Jardins da Torre de Belém with a concert and fireworks.
- 2027: 12 June is a Saturday and 13 June a Sunday. Visit Lisboa lists the Lisbon festivities as “June 2027, to be confirmed” (visitlisboa.com, 1 October 2026), and the parade’s start time is not published. EGEAC, the city’s cultural company, posts each year’s programme.
Lisbon’s June is dry: IPMA’s averages give a 26.1°C high and 14 mm of rain, and best time to visit Lisbon has the rest of the year.
A bakery stall decked in streamers on a cobbled street during the June festival. Photo: Philip Mallis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The parade, 12 June
Avenida da Liberdade · 21:00 in 2026 · free
The Marchas Populares are neighbourhood groups that parade in matching costumes, each with its own song and dance. In 2026 the parade started at 21:00 on Avenida da Liberdade, admission free (egeac.pt, 1 October 2026). Twenty-five marchas were on the line-up: Alfama, Mouraria, Graça, Bica, Madragoa, Bairro Alto, Castelo, São Vicente, Alcântara, Benfica and others, with two children’s marches and the Macau association. The Casamentos de Santo António, the mass weddings, are held the same day.
The Metro on the night
The Metro announced these arrangements for 12 to 13 June 2026 (metrolisboa.pt, 11 June 2026). Expect something similar in 2027, and check the announcement the day before:
- Hours: all four lines ran until 03:00.
- Avenida station (Blue Line) closed at 19:30 on the police’s advice; the underground pedestrian passage stayed open until 03:00.
- Restauradores: the exit to Rossio railway station closed at 22:00.
- Alameda and Cais do Sodré stations gave out free manjericos, small basil plants with a paper flag, from 17:00 to 20:00.
The normal hours are 06:30 to 01:00; see Lisbon public transport. A taxi or a walk is the backup if a general strike coincides: the Metro stopped for the whole of the general strikes on 11 December 2025 and 3 June 2026.
The street parties
The arraiais are street parties with music, grilled sardines and basil pots, and they run all month. Alfama is the centre of them: narrow streets, loud music and a short walk from the cruise terminal (lisboncruiseport.pt, 1 October 2026). Lisbon cruise port to the city centre covers both terminals for a ship in port that week. Alfama is steep and the funiculars are shut, so wear flat shoes and allow time; see Tram 28 and the funiculars. The Tram 28, Alfama and custard tart walkad (from £29.04, 4.8 stars from 167 reviews, 2½ hours) passes the Cathedral and St Anthony’s birthplace.
Streamers and stalls on an Alfama street for the June street parties. Photo: Philip Mallis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
13 June: what is closed
13 June is Lisbon’s municipal holiday, and the day the Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower close, as they do on Mondays, 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December (mosteirojeronimos.torrebelem.gov.pt, 1 October 2026). In 2027 it is a Sunday, a day Belém is normally open, so it catches visitors out, and Monday 14 June is closed too. Put Belém on Friday 11 June or Tuesday 15 June.
| On 13 June | Open? |
|---|---|
| Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower | Closed |
| São Jorge Castle | Open: it closes only on 1 January, 1 May, and 24, 25 and 31 December |
| Oceanário | Open daily |
| Sintra, including Pena Palace | Open: closed only on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January |
See what to book before you go in Lisbon for the booking rules, and the Jerónimos Monastery tickets and Belém Tower tickets guides for the slots. St John on 24 June and St Peter on 29 June are not public holidays in Lisbon (lisboncruiseport.pt).
Where to stay
The parade is on Avenida da Liberdade, which is flat and has the airport links; the parties are in Alfama, Mouraria, Graça and Bica, the old quarters uphill from Baixa. Where to stay in Lisbon compares the areas, and every hotel adds the €4 a night tourist tax for up to 7 nights.
For the festival’s neighbours in the calendar, see Christmas in Lisbon and New Year in Lisbon. For plans round the closed day, see 3 days in Lisbon.
Common questions
When is Santo António in Lisbon?
The parade night is 12 June and the saint's day, 13 June, is Lisbon's municipal holiday. In 2027 they fall on Saturday 12 June and Sunday 13 June. The city's festival, the Festas de Lisboa, ran from 29 May to 28 June in 2026; the 2027 programme has not been published, and Visit Lisboa lists the festivities as June 2027, to be confirmed.
What is the Marchas Populares parade in Lisbon?
A procession of neighbourhood groups, each with its own costumes, song and dance, down Avenida da Liberdade. In 2026 it began at 21:00 on 12 June, was free, and had 25 marchas on the list, among them Alfama, Mouraria, Graça, Bica, Madragoa and Bairro Alto, two children's marchas and a Macau association.
Are the Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower open on 13 June?
No. Both are closed on 13 June every year, as well as on Mondays, 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December. The São Jorge Castle, the Oceanário and the Sintra palaces are open on 13 June.
Does the Lisbon Metro run late on the night of the parade?
In 2026 it ran until 03:00 on all four lines on the night of 12 to 13 June. Avenida station closed at 19:30 on the police's advice, with the underground pedestrian passage open until 03:00, and the Restauradores exit to Rossio railway station closed at 22:00. The Metro announced this on 11 June, so check the day before.
Are 24 June and 29 June holidays in Lisbon?
No. St John's Day on 24 June and St Peter's Day on 29 June are not public holidays in Lisbon. The street parties, called arraiais, run through the month.
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