The traditional Portuguese midsummer festival in Porto is called São João.
Festa de São João do Porto takes place on the night of June 23 and continues into the early hours of June 24, the feast day of Saint John the Baptist. It is one of Porto’s largest annual public celebrations and combines religious heritage with exuberant street customs.
Participants traditionally carry plastic hammers and tap one another on the head, a playful custom that became especially associated with the city. Garlic flowers, known in Portuguese as alho-porro, are also linked with the festival. Fireworks over the Douro River, dancing, grilled sardines, and an all-night street procession are major features.
São João is not the same event as Lisbon’s June celebration of Saint Anthony, although both are popular Portuguese summer festivals. Porto’s festival is specifically tied to Saint John and the night before his feast day.