---
title: Baía das Gatas festival
teaser: Cape Verde's most famous music festival, at a beach bay east of Mindelo — what it is, when it happens, and how to do it right.
seo:
  title: Baía das Gatas festival — Mindelo's August music weekend
  description: Three or four nights of music on a beach bay near Mindelo, traditionally over the August full moon. What to expect, getting there, and how to plan.
tags: baia das gatas, festival, music, beaches
draft: false
---

Every August, a wide ocean bay an hour's walk east of Mindelo becomes Cape
Verde's most famous music venue. The Festival de Baía das Gatas has run for
four decades — it is the one every other Cape Verdean festival gets compared
with. Expect national headliners, visiting international acts, and a crowd
that camps, dances and swims through the whole weekend.

## What it is

- **Three or four nights of music** on a stage set right on the sand, with
  the bay as the backdrop.
- **Traditionally the August full moon**, though the exact days are set by
  the organization each year — the 2026 edition ran 6–9 August.
- A mix of **free and ticketed history**: access and vehicle fees are
  published by the municipality before each edition; expect per-day tickets
  for the front-of-stage area.

## Going there

The bay is a short taxi or aluguer (shared minibus) ride from Mindelo along
the coastal road.
Locals bring coolers and stay all day; the swimming is sheltered and family-
friendly until the crowd thickens at night. Sleep options inside the bay go
fast — most visitors base themselves in Mindelo and taxi back in the small
hours (negotiate the return fare before you set out).

The festival pairs naturally with a day on the coast — the
[places directory](/places) covers Laginha and the other bays along that
same road, and the [live music](/guides/live-music-in-mindelo)
scene keeps going in the city year-round.

## The next edition

Dates for the next edition are announced on the festival's official
Facebook and Instagram pages, usually well ahead of August — and we post
them to [our events calendar](/events) as soon as they are confirmed.

## Sources

- [Festival de Baía das Gatas — official Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/baiadasgatas) — 2026 edition dates (6–9 August)
- [Festival de Baía das Gatas — official Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/festivalbaiadasgatas/)
- [Cape Verde festivals guide](https://www.capeverde.co.uk/guide/festivals-and-music) — full-moon tradition, format