Macau Festivals

(Last updated: September 1, 2026)

When a city is built on the back of two major but very different cultures, it’s only natural that it develops a rich calendar of festivals. In Macau, the Portuguese brought holidays such as New Year’s, Easter and Christmas, while the Chinese contributed celebrations like Lunar New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival and Tomb Sweeping Day.

Besides those major holidays, Macau also hosts a number of unique local festivals that showcase its Portuguese and Chinese heritage.

I’ve highlighted my favourites below.

Procession of the Passion of Our Lord, the God Jesus (February/March)

There is a magnificent statue of Christ carrying a Cross that usually rests under the altar of St. Augustine’s Church. 

On the first Saturday after Ash Wednesday, that statue is carried by clergy members from St. Augustine’s Church to Cathedral, followed by a parade of devotees.  The procession heads through Senado Square to Trav. do Roquete then to Cathedral and Cathedral Square, the site of an overnight vigil.  The following day, He returns to St. Augustine’s Church, via Senado Square, St. Dominic’s Square, Rua do Campo and Av. da Praia Grande. 

Generally regarded as Macau’s most spectacular religious procession, it re-enacts Jesus carrying his cross to the Crucifixion.

This festival has a long history that dates back to the 17th Century at least.  In 1712, after the Augustinians were expelled from Macau, the procession was no longer allowed to continue. The banning happened to coincide with a food shortage that many local Chinese believed was connected. They demanded that the “Man with the Cross” walk again. The procession was quickly restored and, according to local tradition, the food shortage ended soon afterwards. 

For details on the 2017 festivities, please follow the link here: Procession of The Passion of Our Lord.

A-Ma Festival (April/May)

In 1448 an old junk was awash in the South China sea, being battered by a ferocious storm.  It was seconds away from sinking when a beautiful young woman suddenly appeared overhead and made the storm stop.  She was the goddess A-Ma, the deity of fishermen and sea folk.  When the old junk reached shore, a temple was built in her name, and Macau was born.

A Ma Temple is the centre of festivities for the A Ma Festival, where locals gather to make offerings and watch Chinese opera.

Feast of the Drunken Dragon, Feast of the Bathing of Lord Buddha, Tam Kong Festival (April/May)

The Buddha’s birthday is one of Macau’s busiest festival days, with events happening in Macau, Taipa and Coloane.  I checked it out in 2012 and had a great time.

For more information, please check out my Trip Story here: Feast of the Drunken Dragon.

Procession of Our Lady of Fatima (May 13th)

The Virgin Mary hits the town every May 13th, commemorating the six appearances she made in Fatima, Portugal in 1917.

The 2012 version is also another Trip Story found here: Our Lady of Fatima.

Dragon Boat Festival (May/June)

The Dragon Boat Festival celebrates the life of one of China’s greatest poets, Qu Yuan, who lived from 340 to 278 BC.  Exiled after rival ministers slandered him, Qu committed suicide by drowning in a river after his capital fell to the invading Qin.  His friends tried to save him by frantically racing out to the water to stop him but were too late.  To prevent his dead body from being devoured by fish, they dropped sticky rice (zongzi) into the water so the fish would eat that instead.

On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, it is the custom of Chinese to eat sticky rice and race dragon boats.  In Macau, the races take place on Sai Van Lake by Macau Tower, and are contested by foreign and local teams alike.

I attended the 2017 event, which you can read all about here: Dragon Boat Races.

Lusofonia Festival (October)

The Lusofonia Festival is a 3 day celebration of Portuguese culture, history and heritage, featuring the food, music, dance and activities of various Portuguese speaking territories found all over the world.  I went to the 2015 edition and had a fantastic time.  In fact, I’m going to make it my new annual tradition to go every year.

For more information about the event, please click here: 2015 Lusofonia Festival.

Grand Prix Race (November)

The biggest event of the year is definitely the annual F3 race that shuts the city down every November.

Jane and I saw the 2014 race here: Grand Prix Race.

Macau Food Festival (November)

The Macau Food Festival has grown into one of the city’s biggest annual events, with hundreds of food stalls serving dishes from across Asia and beyond. If there’s one drawback, it’s the lack of English menus at many booths.

For more information, please follow the link to the 2019 Food Festival.

Update (2026): For a more comprehensive list of Macau events and festivals, please check the Macau Government Tourist Office website: Calendar of Events.