Pasko sa Naga: The 8 December Lighting, the Lotus Field and the Dagitab Festival
The City of Naga, south of Cebu City, switches on its Christmas lights on 8 December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and keeps them burning through the season along its waterfront and plaza. It calls itself the Christmas Capital of the South, and the lotus fields, the angel arch and the tree of lights make the case after dark. The 2026 date had not been announced on 30 October 2026, but 8 December, a Tuesday, is the safe bet.
City of Naga · Cebu
Lighting night
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8 December
Naga lights its Christmas display on 8 December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, by long custom; CDN Digital reported it on that date in 2018 and 2021 and previewed the 8 December 2024 ceremony. Suroy.ph’s first frames of the 2024 display were filed that night. The 2026 date had not been announced on 30 October 2026; the 8th falls on a Tuesday.
The festival of lights
The lighting starts the Dagitab Festival, which runs through the season. The 2024 Dagitab showdown was on 23 December at the city sports field, with about ₱8.85 million from the provincial government.
Baywalk and plaza
The displays fill the waterfront park the city calls the Baywalk, also known as the boardwalk, beside Pasilong sa Naga, and spill into the city plaza. Naga brands itself the City of Lights and the Christmas Capital of the South.
Lotus, angels, a tree
Suroy.ph’s 2024 frames show a tall tree of lights, a winged angel arch, fields of glowing pink lotus around a gazebo and giant lanterns. One 2025 roundup gave that year’s theme as Kahayag sa Paglaum, Light of Hope; no city source confirmed it.
Neither published
No source lists an entrance fee or the hours the lights stay on. Suroy.ph’s photographs were all taken after dark. Go after 6 PM, and on a weeknight if you want the lotus field to yourself.
CDN Digital (2018, 2021); The Freeman (Dec 2024); Sugbo.ph (Dec 2025); vismin.ph; Suroy.ph photographs, filed 8 and 9 December 2024. Checked 30 October 2026.
The date
The lighting has been on 8 December for years: CDN Digital reported it on that date in 2018 and in 2021 and previewed the 8 December 2024 ceremony, and Suroy.ph’s first frames of the 2024 display were filed on the night of 8 December 2024. Sugbo.ph confirmed that Pasko sa Naga 2025 opened with the lighting of the city tree but did not give the date. For 2026 nothing had been posted by 30 October.
8 December 2026 is a special non-working day across the country, so expect a full crowd. See the December 2026 holidays for the rest of the month.
Dagitab, the festival of lights
The lighting starts the Dagitab Festival, Naga’s festival of lights, which runs through December. The 2024 Dagitab showdown was held on 23 December at the Teodoro Mendiola Sr. Sports Field and Track Oval, with the provincial government putting in about ₱8.85 million, per The Freeman.
What the lights look like
Suroy.ph’s 2024 frames show a tall tree of lights rising out of a field of smaller displays, a winged angel arch, a field of glowing pink lotus around a gold gazebo, and lantern figures hung in the trees. From the air, the lotus beds form a pink circle quartered by walkways.
For 2025, one regional roundup gave the theme as Kahayag sa Paglaum, Light of Hope, with a light tunnel and fireworks. No city source confirmed it, and no 2026 theme had been announced.
Where, and the practical part
The displays fill the waterfront park the city calls the Baywalk, beside Pasilong sa Naga, and spill into the city plaza; for the park itself see the Naga Boardwalk. No source lists an entrance fee or the hours the lights stay on, and Suroy.ph’s photographs were all taken after dark. Go after 6 PM, and on a weeknight after the 8th if you want the lotus field without the lighting crowd.
The City of Naga is on the south coast road, and southbound buses and jeepneys from the Cebu South Bus Terminal run through it. Provincial bus fares rose on 28 September 2026, so budget a little more than you paid last December.
More lights
Cebu City lights the Tree of Hope at Fuente Osmeña around 1 December, and Minglanilla, on the way to Naga, lights its plaza tree in December; 10 December in 2022.
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Frequently asked questions
When is the Naga Christmas lighting in 2026?
Not yet announced as of 30 October 2026. It is traditionally on 8 December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which falls on a Tuesday in 2026.
Where are the Christmas lights in Naga, Cebu?
Along the waterfront park the city calls the Baywalk, beside Pasilong sa Naga, and in the city plaza.
Is there an entrance fee for the Naga Christmas lights?
No source lists one.
What is the Dagitab Festival?
Naga’s festival of lights, which starts with the 8 December lighting and runs through the season.
Why is Naga called the Christmas Capital of the South?
The city uses the name, along with the City of Lights, for its yearly Christmas lighting, which has run for more than two decades.
Dates from CDN Digital (14 December 2018; December 2021); Dagitab 2024 from The Freeman (29 December 2024); 2025 from Sugbo.ph (19 December 2025) and vismin.ph (undated); city branding from the City of Naga site (December 2023). Photographs by Suroy.ph, filed 8 and 9 December 2024. Checked 30 October 2026.
