The annual Arraial de São João is happening 21 and 22 June at the Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre Outdoor Plaza, promising live music, crafts and refreshments.
St John’s Festival – as it’s called in English – is a traditional celebration for Macao’s Portuguese and Macanese communities and was added to the city’s Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2020.
Free events have been scheduled from 2:30 pm to 10 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. These will include performances from local musicians, games, food stalls and arts and crafts activities, according to the Macau Post Daily.
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The Arraial de São João commemorates Portuguese forces in Macao successfully repelling the Dutch on 24 June 1622. Their victory kept the vital Sino-European trading post under Portugal’s governance.
A three-day battle was won on the birthday of St John the Baptist, leading some to consider it a blessing from the saint. Formerly known as Dia da Cidade de Macau (“Macao City Day”), it has gone by the name of Arraial de São João since Macao’s handover to China in 1999.
The festival is mainly organised by the Associação dos Macaenses (ADM) and the Associação dos Jovens Macaenses (AJM), with support from the Macau Foundation.
