A month-by-month calendar of festivals and public holidays in Sao Tome and Principe, from the Tchiloli and the Auto de Floripes to Independence Day and Christmas.
Sao Tome and Principe festivals are not big international events that draw crowds, and that is exactly what makes them special: they are still celebrations for local people, not shows staged for tourists. A visitor who happens upon one isn't watching a performance; they're being invited into something real.
Here is the yearly calendar, with the two cultural traditions that make this country unique, the Tchiloli and the Auto de Floripes, plus the public holidays worth knowing when you plan your trip.
In this article
- The country's two cultural treasures
- Public holidays in Sao Tome and Principe
- Plantation feasts and patron saint festivals
- Other dates worth knowing
- Christmas in Sao Tome and Principe
- Sao Tome and Principe festivals month by month
- Tips for timing your trip with a festival
- Frequently asked questions
- Travel on the date that suits you
The country's two cultural treasures
The Tchiloli
It is the most extraordinary thing you'll see here, and almost nobody outside the country has heard of it. The Tchiloli is a theatrical performance of The Tragedy of the Marquis of Mantua and the Emperor Charlemagne, a 16th-century Portuguese text that reached the island with the settlers and that Santomeans adopted, reinterpreted and preserved for more than four centuries.
It is performed outdoors, on beaten earth, with wooden masks, costumes that blend European court dress with African elements, drums and flutes. It lasts for hours. The troupes, called tragédias, are handed down from parents to children within the same communities.
What makes it fascinating is its meaning: a story of European nobility performed by the descendants of people enslaved by that same Europe, transformed into their own tale about justice and the abuse of power. There are very few traditions like it in Africa.
When to see it: mainly in August, around the patron saint festivities, and on other key dates in the local calendar. There's no fixed published programme: you have to ask on the ground.
The Auto de Floripes
Príncipe's own version, and one of the country's great festivals. It is performed every 15 August in the town of Santo António, as part of the feast of São Lourenço.
It is a "Moors and Christians" play, related to performances still staged in villages in Portugal and Spain, with Floripes, daughter of the Moorish king, as its central character. The whole town comes to a standstill: hundreds of performers, masks, choreographed battles and a day of celebration that carries on into the night. If your dates line up, change your itinerary to be on Príncipe.
Public holidays in Sao Tome and Principe
- 1 January: New Year's Day
- 4 January: King Amador Day, remembering the leader of the 1595 slave revolt, now a national hero
- 3 February: Liberty Martyrs' Day, commemorating the Batepá massacre of 1953. A solemn date, not a festive one
- 1 May: Labour Day
- 12 July: Independence Day, the great national celebration, with parades, music, speeches and parties all over the country
- 6 September: Armed Forces Day
- 30 September: Agrarian Reform Day
- 21 December: São Tomé Day, for the patron saint who gives the country its name
- 25 December: Christmas Day
On national holidays, government offices, banks and many shops close. Hotels and restaurants work as normal.
Plantation feasts and patron saint festivals
Of all Sao Tome and Principe festivals, these are for us the most authentic. Each community celebrates its patron saint with Mass, a procession, a shared meal, drums and dancing that goes on into the early hours. They aren't advertised anywhere and there's no ticket: you turn up, say hello and someone puts a plate in front of you.
They are concentrated between June and September, during the gravana (dry season), when the weather cooperates. On Príncipe, the regional government highlights two marches in June: Santo António on 13 June, the island's main one, and São João on 23 June.
Other dates worth knowing
- Carnival (February or March): there are local celebrations, including on Príncipe, but nothing on the scale of Brazil or Cape Verde.
- Holy Week (March or April): processions in the capital.
- São Tomé FestFilm: an international film festival held in the capital, usually in the autumn. Check the dates for the year you travel.
Christmas in Sao Tome and Principe
December is a particularly lively month. Christmas is celebrated with real intensity (around 73% of the population is Catholic) and combines with São Tomé Day on 21 December. There are Masses, music, decorated houses and a joyful street atmosphere, with 28 degrees and palm trees as a backdrop.
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It's also when many Santomeans living in Portugal come home, so the islands fill with reunions. Flights get more expensive and need booking well ahead. If you'd like to spend it there, take a look at our Christmas 2027 trip to Sao Tome and Principe, from €2,650 including the Lisbon–São Tomé flight.
Sao Tome and Principe festivals month by month
- January: New Year and King Amador Day. A good month to travel, during the short dry spell known as gravanito
- February: Liberty Martyrs' Day (3 February); possible carnival celebrations
- March–April: Holy Week, with processions in the capital
- May: Labour Day
- June: community patron saint festivals begin; Santo António (13th) and São João (23rd) marches on Príncipe
- July: Independence Day (12 July), the big event of the year
- August: the peak month, with the Tchiloli and the Auto de Floripes on the 15th on Príncipe
- September: Armed Forces Day and Agrarian Reform Day
- October–November: quiet months without major celebrations
- December: São Tomé Day (21st) and Christmas
To combine the calendar with the weather, read our guide to the best time to visit Sao Tome and Principe.
Tips for timing your trip with a festival
- August is the richest month culturally, but it coincides with UK school holidays and is the most expensive time to fly.
- Ask when you arrive. Local festivals aren't advertised: your guide or your hotel will know if something is happening that week.
- To see the Auto de Floripes, plan months ahead: you need to be on Príncipe on 15 August, and seats on the small inter-island planes are limited.
- Respect the nature of each date. 3 February is a day of remembrance, not a party.
- Ask permission before photographing processions and religious celebrations.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important festival in Sao Tome and Principe?
Independence Day, on 12 July. Culturally, the two most unique are the Tchiloli and the Auto de Floripes.
When is the Auto de Floripes held?
Every 15 August in Santo António, on the island of Príncipe, during the feast of São Lourenço.
What is the Tchiloli?
A theatrical performance of 16th-century Portuguese origin, preserved and reinterpreted for over four centuries by Santomean communities, with its own masks, drums and costumes.
What is Sao Tome and Principe famous for?
Cocoa (it was once the world's largest producer), its old plantations or roças, the Pico Cão Grande, the equator crossing Ilhéu das Rolas and, culturally, the Tchiloli.
Is there a carnival?
Not on the scale of Brazil or Cape Verde. There are some celebrations, but it isn't a central date in the calendar.
Do shops close on public holidays?
Government offices, banks and many shops do. Hotels and restaurants operate as normal.
Can tourists join local festivals?
Yes, and they're met with great hospitality. Just approach respectfully; you'll most likely be invited to eat.
Travel on the date that suits you
Our 8-day Sao Tome and Principe circuit runs all year, whatever the festival, and can be adjusted if you want to coincide with a particular date in the calendar. From €1,250 per person (flights not included), with a local English-speaking guide.
Have a date in mind? Get in touch and we'll tell you what's on that week.