January 2026
Holidaydate to be confirmed
Madridejos Founding Anniversary
Madridejos
Town offices may close.
Town fiesta
Santa Fe Town Fiesta & Panuhug Festival
Santa Fe Poblacion
Street parade and roads closed in the centre – rooms in Santa Fe fill up fast.
Festival
Sinulog / Fiesta Señor in Cebu City
Cebu City (mainland)
Cebu City is packed – leave extra time to reach Hagnaya port.
Town fiestadate to be confirmed
Fiesta Señor on Kinatarkan Island
Kinatarkan, Santa Fe
The Santo Niño image arrives by boat. Boats depend on the weather – ask locally.
February 2026
March 2026
April 2026
Travel peak
Holy Wednesday – arrival peak
Hagnaya → Santa Fe
Longest queues of the year at Hagnaya – travel a day earlier if you can.
Travel peak
Summer high season
everywhere
Book ferries and rooms ahead, especially for weekends.
Church
Maundy Thursday procession
Bantayan town
Evening procession of life-size Passion images on decorated carts (carrozas). Public holiday.
Church
Good Friday – Santo Entierro procession
Bantayan town
Huge crowds. Dress modestly – it is a religious procession.
Travel peak
Easter Sunday – return wave
Santa Fe → Hagnaya
Ferries back to Cebu are full on Sunday and Monday.
May 2026
June 2026
Town fiesta
Bantayan Town Fiesta (Sts. Peter and Paul)
Bantayan town
Masses, processions and parties around the old church.
Festival
Palawod Festival
Bantayan town
Fishing-themed street dancing – streets closed during the parade.
August 2026
October 2026
Holidaydate to be confirmed
Santa Fe Founding Anniversary
Santa Fe
Civic events and contests around this date.
Churchdate to be confirmed
Fluvial procession of the Virgin
Madridejos
Boat procession at sea – ask the parish for the date.
November 2026
Church
All Saints' and All Souls' Day
cemeteries in all towns
Heavy traffic near cemeteries and busy ferries.
December 2026
Town fiesta
Madridejos Town Fiesta & Isda Festival
Madridejos
Parade with roads closed in the centre. Also a national special day.
Holiday
Christmas and New Year's Eve
everywhere
Peak travel – book ferries and rooms early.
January 2027
Holidaydate to be confirmed
Madridejos Founding Anniversary
Madridejos
Town offices may close.
Town fiesta
Santa Fe Town Fiesta & Panuhug Festival
Santa Fe Poblacion
Street parade and roads closed in the centre – rooms in Santa Fe fill up fast.
Festival
Sinulog / Fiesta Señor in Cebu City
Cebu City (mainland)
Cebu City is packed – leave extra time to reach Hagnaya port.
Town fiestadate to be confirmed
Fiesta Señor on Kinatarkan Island
Kinatarkan, Santa Fe
The Santo Niño image arrives by boat. Boats depend on the weather – ask locally.
February 2027
March 2027
Travel peak
Holy Wednesday – arrival peak
Hagnaya → Santa Fe
Longest queues of the year at Hagnaya – travel a day earlier if you can.
Church
Maundy Thursday procession
Bantayan town
Evening procession of life-size Passion images on decorated carts (carrozas). Public holiday.
Church
Good Friday – Santo Entierro procession
Bantayan town
Huge crowds. Dress modestly – it is a religious procession.
Travel peak
Easter Sunday – return wave
Santa Fe → Hagnaya
Ferries back to Cebu are full on Sunday and Monday.
April 2027
Travel peak
Summer high season
everywhere
Book ferries and rooms ahead, especially for weekends.
May 2027
June 2027
Town fiesta
Bantayan Town Fiesta (Sts. Peter and Paul)
Bantayan town
Masses, processions and parties around the old church.
Festival
Palawod Festival
Bantayan town
Fishing-themed street dancing – streets closed during the parade.
August 2027
October 2027
Holidaydate to be confirmed
Santa Fe Founding Anniversary
Santa Fe
Civic events and contests around this date.
Churchdate to be confirmed
Fluvial procession of the Virgin
Madridejos
Boat procession at sea – ask the parish for the date.
November 2027
Church
All Saints' and All Souls' Day
cemeteries in all towns
Heavy traffic near cemeteries and busy ferries.
December 2027
Town fiesta
Madridejos Town Fiesta & Isda Festival
Madridejos
Parade with roads closed in the centre. Also a national special day.
Holiday
Christmas and New Year's Eve
everywhere
Peak travel – book ferries and rooms early.
No events of this type in this month yet. Know one? Tell us.
Public holidays follow the official proclamation; town and barangay dates as announced locally. Dates marked “to be confirmed” are still being checked by our local guide.
More local events
Barangay (village) fiestas: Many barangays hold their own fiesta; our list is still incomplete. So far we only know the custom on Kinatarkan (date still open), so our local guide is collecting the rest. Feast days we know of, with local dates still to be confirmed: San Vicente Ferrer in Kampingganon (around April 5), San Isidro on Doong Island (around May 15), St. Francis of Assisi in Pili, Madridejos (around October 4).
Markets: Bantayan town’s public market is known for dried fish (buwad). Santa Fe also has a public market. We have not confirmed fixed market days yet.
Holy Week on Bantayan – what to know
- The best-known processions are in Bantayan town (Poblacion); Santa Fe holds processions too. They happen on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday evenings. Old island families bring out life-size images of the Passion on decorated carts (carrozas).
- Holy Week is a religious time, not the town fiesta. Dress modestly and stay quiet during the procession.
- Ferries: Holy Wednesday can be extremely busy at Hagnaya port (Cebu Daily News reported more than 6,000 passengers leaving Hagnaya for Santa Fe on one Holy Wednesday after a storm-related suspension; the year still needs checking). Return trips are fullest on Easter Sunday and Monday.
- Rooms: Book well ahead; the island is at its fullest this week.
- Banks and offices: usually closed on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, often longer – check your bank’s holiday notice and bring cash.
FAQ
When is the Santa Fe fiesta?
January 15–16, in honour of the Santo Niño (Holy Child). The Panuhug Festival parade is part of it (January 15). Unverified – confirm locally.
When is the Bantayan fiesta?
June 28–29, in honour of Saints Peter and Paul. The Palawod Festival is on June 29, and June 30 is Bantayan Day.
When is the Madridejos fiesta?
December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, with the Isda (fish) Festival.
Is Holy Week the Bantayan fiesta?
No. Holy Week is a religious observance with processions. The town fiesta is in June.
When are the Holy Week processions in 2027?
Maundy Thursday, March 25, and Good Friday, March 26, both in Bantayan town. Start times will be posted when the parish announces them.
Are banks open during fiestas?
On national holidays (for example Holy Thursday and Good Friday, December 8, December 25) banks are usually closed – check your bank’s holiday notice. On local fiesta days, banks may close or close early, so bring cash.
Where do these dates come from?
From the municipalities, the parishes, the 2027 holiday proclamation (Proclamation No. 1427) and Cebu newspapers, checked in November 2026. They have not yet been confirmed on site; our local guide is working through them.
Last checked: November 2026 · Status: unverified – confirm locally.
Find it on the map
- Sts. Peter and Paul Parish ChurchDirectionsReviews & photos
- Hagnaya Port, San Remigio (ferry to Santa Fe)DirectionsReviews & photos
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Local guide check pending