Dinagyang Festival

Dinagyang grew out of the devotion to the Santo Niño, whose image came to Iloilo from Cebu in the late 1960s, and it has developed into the most tightly choreographed of the country's street-dancing festivals. Over the fourth weekend of January, tribu contingents - each of a hundred or more dancers and drummers from Iloilo's schools - perform full routines at judging stations set up around the city, in body paint, feathered headdresses and elaborate props, competing on choreography, music, costume and the retelling of the Santo Niño's arrival and the Ati settlement of Panay. The drumming is relentless and carries across whole districts. Alongside the competition are the Kasadyahan cultural parade, a fluvial procession on the Iloilo River, food fairs and a great deal of drinking. It is often compared with Cebu's Sinulog and Kalibo's Ati-Atihan, and it is the most formally competitive of the three.

What you actually see

• The tribu performances - full routines at the judging stations.
• The drum corps - the percussion driving each contingent.
• The Kasadyahan parade - the cultural procession before the main day.
• The fluvial procession - the Santo Niño on the river.

When to go

The fourth weekend of January, with the main competition on Sunday. Arrive by Friday - flights and hotels fill weeks ahead.

Honest expectations

The city is packed and streets close for days. Grandstand tickets sell out; street viewing means standing for hours in heat. Accommodation prices multiply during the festival.

Nearby

Molo and Jaro churches are in the city; Miagao and Guimaras are short trips out.