Ati-Atihan

The festival

The Ati-Atihan of Kalibo, in Aklan province on Panay Island, is nicknamed the "mother of all Philippine festivals": it is the oldest and model of which the Cebu Sinulog and the Iloilo Dinagyang were inspired. Every third Sunday in January, the city honours the Santo Niño at the constant rhythm of drums, with the cry of "Hala Bira!".

The name of the festival evokes the Ati, the indigenous people of the island: according to tradition, the inhabitants blackened their faces to look like soot and celebrate with them. The participants thus parade the body and face painted, in costumes of fiber, feathers and glitter, dancing for hours in the streets of Kalibo. The festival combines Catholic devotion and carnival joy, between masses, processions and street dance contests.

With Sinulog, celebrated on the same Sunday, Ati-Atihan is the summit of the Santo Niño holiday season in the Philippines. Next edition: Sunday, January 17, 2027.