Sanjoaninas (Angra do Heroísmo)Festas Sanjoaninas

The Festas Sanjoaninas (or Feira de São João) in Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island (Azores), are among the archipelago’s largest and oldest festivals 1 2. A key component is the “Corrida de Toiros à Portuguesa” (Portuguese-style bullfight) in the municipal bullring (Praça de Toiros), in which mounted cavaleiros and foot forcados face a bull that is not killed in public 3 2. The event highlights traditional Portuguese bullfighting culture with Lusitano horses, and forms part of the Saint John festivities, blending folklore, music, and popular marches 3 2.

Sanjoaninas celebrate Angra do Heroísmo’s patron saint, Saint John. The festivities mix religious ceremonies, traditional Azorean folk dances (marchas populares), music concerts and local food with bullfights. The bullfight dates back centuries and reflects Portugal’s unique tauromaquia: breezing the bull by cavaleiros and securing it by forcados, without public killing. It underscores a deep cultural identity in Terceira, related to beliefs (no killing honours the bull) and communal heritage. 1 2