Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu: Mass Schedule, Dress Code and Fiesta Señor 2027
The Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu is the church on Osmeña Boulevard that keeps the Santo Niño, the image of the Child Jesus given to Cebu in 1521. Its gates open at 4:00 AM and close at 9:00 PM every day, entry is free, and Masses run from 6:00 AM on weekdays, with thirteen on a Friday, the Santo Niño’s novena day. Dress with sleeves and covered legs: shorts and sleeveless tops are on the basilica’s attire list.
Fiesta Señor 2027, the 461st, runs from January 7 to 17, 2027, under the theme “Santo Niño: Shepherd of Humanity.” Times below were checked against the basilica’s posted schedule on October 24, 2026.
Osmeña Boulevard, Cebu City · 10.2945° N, 123.9020° E · Schedule checked October 24, 2026
Osmeña Boulevard · live on Manila time
Basilica countdown
The clock reads Manila time wherever you are. Gold dots are Masses, blue dots are the streamed ones, rings are devotions. Tap a day to see an ordinary week.
Next Mass
See below
Full schedule in the tables below.
Gates open 4:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily.
Fiesta Señor 2027 · January 7 to 17
Jan 7to January 17, 2027
Sinulog Sunday, the feast itself, falls on January 17.
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Novena daysWalks and processionsFeast and Sinulog
Mass times from the basilica’s posted schedule, checked 24 October 2026. Holy days and fiesta weeks change them.
Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño Mass schedule
Monday to Thursday and Saturday
| Time | Language |
|---|---|
| 6:00 AM | Cebuano |
| 7:00 AM | English |
| 8:00 AM | English, streamed on Facebook |
| 12:15 PM | Cebuano |
| 5:30 PM | English |
Friday novena Masses
| Time | Language |
|---|---|
| 5:00 AM | Cebuano |
| 6:00 AM | Cebuano |
| 7:00 AM | English |
| 8:00 AM | English, streamed |
| 9:00 AM | English |
| 10:00 AM | Cebuano, streamed |
| 11:00 AM | Cebuano |
| 12:00 PM | English |
| 3:00 PM | Cebuano, streamed |
| 4:30 PM | Cebuano |
| 5:30 PM | English |
| 6:30 PM | English |
| 7:30 PM | Cebuano |
| 8:30 PM | Holy Hour, first Friday of the month |
Sunday
| Time | Language |
|---|---|
| 5:30 AM | Cebuano |
| 7:00 AM | Cebuano |
| 8:30 AM | English, streamed |
| 10:00 AM | Cebuano, streamed |
| 11:30 AM | English |
| 1:00 PM | Cebuano |
| 2:30 PM | Cebuano, streamed |
| 4:00 PM | Cebuano |
| 5:30 PM | English |
| 7:00 PM | English |
Devotions and confession
- Wednesday: novena and Mass to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, 5:45 AM and 5:15 PM.
- Saturday: Our Lady of Lourdes, 5:15 PM. On the first Saturday, Our Lady of Consolation after the 8:00 AM Mass.
- Confession: Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday, 4:00 to 5:20 PM. Friday, 8:00 AM to noon and 3:00 to 7:00 PM.
The schedule changes completely during Fiesta Señor in January, when Masses start as early as 4:00 AM and run every ninety minutes or so into the evening.
Osmeña Boulevard · Mass by Mass
How full is the day?
Choose an ordinary week or Fiesta Señor, then a day. More Masses means more people moving through the gates.
Tap a day
Bars show how many Masses fall in each part of the day, from the basilica’s posted schedule.
Tap a day
The basilica has set Fiesta Señor 2027 for January 7 to 17. Day-by-day times are not out yet, so each day shows the 2026 pattern moved to the 2027 dates.
Mon
4 to 8 AM
8 AM to noon
Noon to 4 PM
4 to 9 PM
An ordinary weekday: three morning Masses, one at 12:15 and one at 5:30 PM.
Tue
4 to 8 AM
8 AM to noon
Noon to 4 PM
4 to 9 PM
An ordinary weekday. Confessions run 4:00 to 5:20 PM.
Wed
4 to 8 AM
8 AM to noon
Noon to 4 PM
4 to 9 PM
Weekday Masses plus the Perpetual Help novena at 5:45 AM and 5:15 PM.
Thu
4 to 8 AM
8 AM to noon
Noon to 4 PM
4 to 9 PM
An ordinary weekday. Confessions run 4:00 to 5:20 PM.
Fri
4 to 8 AM
8 AM to noon
Noon to 4 PM
4 to 9 PM
Friday is novena day for the Santo Niño: thirteen Masses from 5:00 AM to 7:30 PM, plus a Holy Hour on first Fridays. The busiest day of an ordinary week.
Sat
4 to 8 AM
8 AM to noon
Noon to 4 PM
4 to 9 PM
Weekday Masses, with Our Lady of Lourdes at 5:15 PM.
Sun
4 to 8 AM
8 AM to noon
Noon to 4 PM
4 to 9 PM
Ten Masses from 5:30 AM to 7:00 PM, the fullest schedule after Friday.
Jan 7
All day
Opening day. In 2026 it began with the 4:00 AM Walk with Jesus from Fuente Osmeña and an opening Mass at 5:00 AM. Masses run through the day; exact times were not part of the published program.
Jan 8
4 to 8 AM
8 AM to noon
Noon to 4 PM
4 to 9 PM
Novena day 1. In 2026, eleven Masses ran from 4:00 AM to 7:00 PM, the last one followed by a traditional Sinulog.
Jan 9
4 to 8 AM
8 AM to noon
Noon to 4 PM
4 to 9 PM
Novena day. Same pattern of eleven Masses.
Jan 10
4 to 8 AM
8 AM to noon
Noon to 4 PM
4 to 9 PM
Novena day, and a Sunday: the first big weekend crowd of the fiesta.
Jan 11
4 to 8 AM
8 AM to noon
Noon to 4 PM
4 to 9 PM
Novena day.
Jan 12
4 to 8 AM
8 AM to noon
Noon to 4 PM
4 to 9 PM
Novena day.
Jan 13
4 to 8 AM
8 AM to noon
Noon to 4 PM
4 to 9 PM
Novena day.
Jan 14
All day
Walk with Mary. In 2026 this was a 4:00 AM penitential walk, then the image of the Virgin left for Mandaue in the Traslacion. Masses run through the day; exact times were not part of the published program.
Jan 15
4 to 8 AM
8 AM to noon
Noon to 4 PM
4 to 9 PM
Last novena day before the weekend.
Jan 16
All day
Visperas. In 2026: fluvial parade at dawn, the reenactment of the first baptism at 9:00 AM, the compound closed at 11:00 AM for the 1:00 PM solemn foot procession, then the 6:00 PM Visperas Mass. Masses run through the day; exact times were not part of the published program.
Jan 17
All day
The feast of the Santo Niño and Sinulog Sunday. In 2026 the day opened with a 4:00 AM Mañanita Mass and the 6:00 AM Pontifical Mass. The whole downtown is crowded. Masses run through the day; exact times were not part of the published program.
Ordinary week from the basilica’s posted schedule, checked 24 October 2026. Fiesta days follow the official 2026 program shifted to the January 7 to 17, 2027 dates the basilica has announced.
Basilica dress code
Before Fiesta Señor 2026, the basilica asked visitors to stay out of the following: spaghetti strap, tube and tank tops; sleeveless or plunging necklines; racerback and backless tops; sando; shawls; short skirts and crop tops; shorts of any kind; ripped jeans; caps or bucket hats worn inside; and see-through clothing. A T-shirt with sleeves and long pants or a knee-length skirt clears all of it.
Basilica del Santo Niño · dress code
Will they let you in?
Pick what you are wearing. The verdict follows the attire list the basilica released before Fiesta Señor 2026.
Top
Bottoms
You are dressed for it.Sleeves and covered legs clear the list.Take the hat off once you are inside the church.Expect to be stopped.
- Sleeveless tops and sando are on the basilica’s list.
- Tank, tube and spaghetti strap tops are on the list.
- Crop tops are on the list.
- Backless and racerback tops are on the list.
- See-through clothing is on the list.
- Ripped jeans are on the list.
- Shorts of any kind are on the list, including long shorts.
- Short skirts are on the list.
- And take the cap off once you are inside.
From the basilica’s attire list as reported on 10 January 2026. A shawl over a sleeveless top is also on the list, so it does not fix one.
A plain shirt with sleeves is all the gate asks for. The Sinulog Vibes Tee has sleeves, and VIVA PIT SEÑOR is one of its four chants.
What to see inside the basilica
- The Santo Niño. The image is kept behind glass in its own side chapel, where devotees file past to pray. Expect the line to be longest on Fridays and Sundays, the days with the most Masses.
- The retablo. The gilded altarpiece over the main altar, lined with niches of saints.
- The candle wall. Outside, in the courtyard, devotees light red candles in front of a stone relief of the Santo Niño and the church. This is the dagkutanan, the candle-lighting place.
- The relics. A glass case of relics of saints, each in its own lit niche.
- The old bell and well. A bronze bell hangs over a round stone well in the convent grounds.
- The museum. In the basement of the Pilgrim Center, open daily 8:00 to 11:45 AM and 1:00 to 4:45 PM. It was first set up in 1965 for the fourth centennial of Christianity in the Philippines. The basilica’s page does not list a fee.
Basilica del Santo Niño history
- 1521. The image is given to Cebu at the baptism of Rajah Humabon’s household during Magellan’s stay.
- April 28, 1565. A soldier of the Legazpi expedition finds the image in a burned house. Fray Andrés de Urdaneta founds the church on the spot that day.
- 1566 and 1628. The first church, of wood and nipa, burns in November 1566. Its replacement burns in March 1628.
- 1735 to 1740. Fray Juan de Albarrán builds the stone church that stands today, finished on January 16, 1740.
- April 1, 1965. Pope Paul VI raises it to a minor basilica for the fourth centennial.
- October 15, 2013. The magnitude 7.2 Bohol earthquake brings down most of the bell tower and damages the facade. The basilica reopens on December 24, 2014, and the bell tower is fully restored by October 2016.
- April 14, 2021. The church and convent are declared a National Cultural Treasure. They had been a National Historical Landmark since 1973.
Fiesta Señor and Sinulog at the basilica
Fiesta Señor is the basilica’s own feast, held over eleven days ending on the third Sunday of January. The Sinulog Grand Parade happens in the city on that same Sunday. In 2026 the fiesta opened with a 4:00 AM penitential walk from Fuente Osmeña, ran eight novena days of eleven Masses each, sent the image of the Virgin to Mandaue on the eighth day, and closed the basilica compound at 11:00 AM on the Saturday for the solemn foot procession. Expect the 2027 program to follow the same shape across January 7 to 17. The full schedule is posted on the basilica’s site closer to the date.
Getting there and nearby
The basilica faces Osmeña Boulevard at its downtown end, next to Cebu City Hall. Taxis and ride-hailing cars can drop along the boulevard, and jeepneys heading downtown pass within a short walk. For fares and routes, see the Cebu jeepney guide.
- Magellan’s Cross, in the small chapel right outside the basilica gate.
- Fort San Pedro and Plaza Independencia, a ten minute walk toward the port.
- National Museum of the Philippines, Cebu, beside Plaza Independencia.
- Colon Street, a few blocks north, and the Heritage of Cebu monument and Casa Gorordo in Parian.
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Choose your chant.
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Wear the story
To see the Basilica as part of a half day on foot through the old city, follow the Cebu heritage walking tour.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Mass schedule at the Sto. Niño Basilica today?
Monday to Thursday and Saturday: 6:00, 7:00 and 8:00 AM, 12:15 PM and 5:30 PM. Friday: thirteen novena Masses from 5:00 AM to 7:30 PM. Sunday: ten Masses from 5:30 AM to 7:00 PM. Schedule checked October 24, 2026.
Can I wear shorts to the Sto. Niño Basilica?
No. Shorts of any kind are on the basilica’s attire list, along with sleeveless tops, crop tops, short skirts, ripped jeans and see-through clothing.
When is Fiesta Señor 2027?
January 7 to 17, 2027. It is the 461st Fiesta Señor, with the theme “Santo Niño: Shepherd of Humanity.”
What time does the basilica open?
The gates open at 4:00 AM and close at 9:00 PM every day.
Is there an entrance fee?
No. Entry to the basilica is free. The basilica museum is open daily 8:00 to 11:45 AM and 1:00 to 4:45 PM.
