Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres 2027 in Ponta Delgada

Each spring Ponta Delgada hosts one of the largest religious festivals in Portugal, in honour of the Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres, a venerated image of Christ kept at the Convento da Esperança. The feast falls on the fifth Sunday after Easter, so in 2027 the festival weekend is Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 May.

What happens

On the Saturday the image leaves its chapel in a procession and spends the night at the nearby São José church, where a vigil runs through the night. Sunday is the high point: a festival mass in the morning and, in the afternoon, the great procession, when the image is carried through streets laid with carpets of flowers. The tradition goes back to the 17th century, when the image was first taken out to pray for an end to the earthquakes shaking the island, according to the Visit Azores religious tourism guide.

Around the religious events the city fills with lights, concerts, fair stalls and food. In 2026 the Santuário's programme began with the lighting on the Friday and ended on the following Thursday, and there was a mass in English at São José on the Sunday morning. The Santuário publishes each year's programme in spring.

Practical notes

Expect large crowds, including many emigrants who come home for the feast, and book accommodation well ahead. Dress respectfully if you enter the churches, follow police instructions on procession routes, and keep the city clean.