Upcoming
Oct 16–26, 2026
About This Event
Faro's historic city fair, running since 1596, takes over Largo de São Francisco for eleven days from 16 to 26 October.
Santa Iria is Faro's own fair and it has been happening, in some form, since 1596. Eleven days of food stalls, craft stands, fairground rides and open-air bars fill Largo de São Francisco and the surrounding streets right in the middle of the city.
It is loud, cheerfully chaotic and almost entirely Portuguese — this is not a tourist showcase, which is exactly the point. Go hungry: the farturas, bifanas and grilled chicken are the reason locals come back every year.
The religious core of the fair falls on 20 October, the feast day of Santa Iria, with a mass and procession through the old town. Evenings are busiest from about 21:00 onwards; the fairground rides run later than you'd expect.
Event Details
Good to Know
- Free to enter; you pay per stall and per fairground ride
- Busiest after 21:00 — arrive earlier if you're bringing kids
- Mass and procession for Santa Iria on 20 October
- Largo de São Francisco is a 10-minute walk from Faro's old town
- Parking nearby is hopeless during the fair — walk or taxi
- Cash is handy; not every stall takes cards
More Upcoming Events
Discover more of the Algarve
