---
title: Kolá San Jon — São João in São Vicente
teaser: Drums, traditional dance and a riverside festa around 24 June — São Vicente's São João mixes mass and procession with a proper popular party.
seo:
  title: Kolá San Jon — São João festivities on São Vicente
  description: São Vicente's São João festa around 24 June — drumming, traditional dance, food stalls and a mass and procession at Ribeira de Julião near Mindelo.
tags: sao joao, kola san jon, festivals, tradition
draft: false
---

June brings the island's most traditional festa: **Kolá San Jon**, the São
João celebrations that are among the most popular in the Cape Verdean
islands. On São Vicente it has a double life — a Catholic mass and
pilgrimage, and around it a proper popular festival with drums, traditional
song and dance, and food stalls.

## Where and when

- The heart of the festa is **Ribeira de Julião**, a village a short ride
  from Mindelo, around **24 June** each year.
- The editions usually span a couple of days — the 2026 edition ran 23–24
  June — with the municipality publishing the exact programme beforehand.
- A pilgrimage departs from Mindelo; in the city the festivities open with
  an arraial (street party) of drummers, coladeiras and horses.

## What to expect

This is a pilgrimage festival (romaria), not a staged show: the religious
and the profane mix freely, kids run through everything, and the
municipality allots the barracas (food and drink stalls) along the
riverbed. Bring sun
protection and small notes for the stalls. Transport back to Mindelo thins
out late — agree a taxi or aluguer (shared minibus) fare for the return
before dark.

It slots into the island's year between the calmer
[São Vicente Day](/guides/sao-vicente-day) in January and the music-heavy
[Baía das Gatas festival](/guides/baia-das-gatas-festival) in August. The
current edition lands on [the events calendar](/events) once the dates are
announced.

## Sources

- [Inforpress — São João festivities at Ribeira de Julião](https://inforpress.cv/sao-vicente-camara-municipal-promove-festas-de-sao-joao-na-ribeira-de-juliao-com-musica-procissao-e-missa) — programme and music lineup
- [Câmara Municipal de São Vicente — official Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/cmsaovicente) — SANJON 2026 dates (23–24 June)
- [Cabo Verde Info — Kolá San Jon background](https://www.caboverde-info.com/Ilhas/Sao-Vicente/Mindelo/Festas-Joaninas-Kola-San-Jon)