Peñafrancia 2027 in Naga: Expected Dates and What the River Did in 2026
The fluvial procession is Saturday, September 19, at 3:00 PM, and the feast is Sunday, September 20. Traslacion crowd figures, security rules in force, and what is known about 2027.
Peñafrancia 2027 in Naga City should run from the Traslación on Friday 10 September to the fluvial procession on Saturday 18 September, with the feast on Sunday 19 September. Those dates follow the third-Sunday rule; the 2027 program is not out yet. The lesson from 2026 is that the river, not the printed schedule, decides when the fluvial procession sails: low tide pushed it from the afternoon into the night.
Peñafrancia Festival · Naga City, Camarines Sur · 2027 dates expected, not announced · Checked 29 October 2026
Peñafrancia · Naga
The 2027 calendar
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Fri 10 Sept (expected)
Traslación
The images of Our Lady of Peñafrancia and the Divino Rostro move from the shrine to the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral, about 1.3 km, to start the novena. About 820,000 people came in 2026, per the city’s emergency operations center.
Nine days in the city
The novena
Nine days of Masses, dawn processions, the trade fair, parades and the Tagboan. The 2026 program was published on 4 August, so expect the 2027 one around then.
Sat 18 Sept (expected)
Fluvial procession
The images return by pagoda on the Naga River. In 2026 low tide pushed it into the night: the images left the cathedral at about 6:30 PM and the pagoda sailed at about 9 PM. The river sets the time, not the printed program. About 1.2 million watched.
Sun 19 Sept (expected)
Feast day
The feast falls on the third Sunday of September, which is how the other dates are worked out. 2026 was the 316th celebration.
Fly to Naga, in Pili
Getting there
Naga Airport is in Pili. Cebu Pacific flew Manila to Naga daily and Clark to Naga four times a week from October 2025; recheck schedules. Book rooms early: the fluvial weekend fills the city.
Checked October 29, 2026.
Peñafrancia 2027 dates
| Event | 2026 | 2027, expected |
|---|---|---|
| Traslación, shrine to cathedral | Friday 11 September | Friday 10 September |
| Novena, parades, Tagboan | 12 to 18 September | 11 to 17 September |
| Fluvial procession on the Naga River | Saturday 19 September | Saturday 18 September |
| Feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia | Sunday 20 September | Sunday 19 September |
The feast falls on the third Sunday of September, the fluvial procession on the Saturday before, and the Traslación opens the novena nine days earlier. The 2026 program was published on 4 August, so watch for the 2027 one in late July or August. The month-long calendar around it, from the marathon to the trade fair, changes every year.
What happened in 2026
- The Traslación on 11 September drew about 820,000 people, according to the city’s emergency operations center, up from about 800,000 in 2025. More than ten devotees brawled on Peñafrancia Street just before it started.
- The fluvial procession on 19 September ran late because the river was too low. The images left the cathedral at about 6:30 PM, the pagoda ran aground at the danlugan, sailed at about 9 PM, and Mass at the Basilica followed around 11 PM. The city put the crowd at about 1.2 million.
- Liquor was banned selectively along the procession route rather than citywide, and a gun ban covered the festival weeks.
- 18 September was a special non-working day in 16 Camarines Sur towns, though not in Naga City itself.
2026 was the 316th celebration. The mayor blamed the low water on a dry September and leaking flood gates at Sabang Bridge; repairs were promised for 2027 but are unconfirmed.
How to see the fluvial procession
Pick a spot on the riverbank early and expect to wait for hours. Treat the published start time as the earliest it could happen, bring water and a light, and keep your phone charged for a long night. The crowd along the banks is dense; agree on a meeting point if you are in a group.
Getting to Naga
Naga Airport is in Pili, about half an hour from the city. Cebu Pacific flew Manila to Naga once daily and, from 26 October 2025, Clark to Naga four times a week; check the 2027 schedule before planning around it. Overnight buses from Manila are the alternative. Rooms in the city fill for the fluvial weekend, so book months ahead. For more of the year’s big feasts, see the festival calendar and Sinulog.
A festival built on a promise kept every September. The Puhon tee carries the Bisaya word for it: someday, God willing.
Suroy Wear · Statement Series
Frequently asked questions
When is Peñafrancia 2027?
Expected from the Traslación on Friday 10 September to the fluvial procession on Saturday 18 September, with the feast on Sunday 19 September. The program has not been announced.
What time is the Peñafrancia fluvial procession?
It depends on the river. In 2026 low tide moved it into the night, with the pagoda sailing at about 9 PM.
How many people attend Peñafrancia?
About 820,000 at the 2026 Traslación and about 1.2 million at the fluvial procession, per city figures.
How do you get to Naga for Peñafrancia?
Fly to Naga Airport in Pili from Manila or Clark, or take an overnight bus from Manila.
Checked 29 October 2026.
