Last updated: August 2026
The Lanzones Festival in Camiguin is a week-long harvest thanksgiving held every October in the island province of Camiguin, Mindanao, celebrating the region’s famous sweet lanzones fruit through street dancing, a grand parade, an agri-trade fair, and cultural pageantry. The 47th edition runs October 18 to 25, 2026, with the climactic Inter-Agency Street Dancing and Ground Presentation Competition on Saturday, October 24. All street events are completely free to watch.
Lanzones Festival Quick Guide
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Festival | 47th Lanzones Festival |
| Location | Mambajao, Camiguin Province |
| Festival Dates | October 18 to 25, 2026 |
| Main Event Day | Saturday, October 24, 2026 |
| Festival Type | Harvest / Agricultural / Cultural |
| Cost to Attend | Free (street events) |
| Trip Length Needed | 3 to 5 nights minimum |
| Best Home Base | Mambajao town center or Agoho area |
Table of Contents
When Is Lanzones Festival?
The 47th Lanzones Festival runs October 18 to 25, 2026, in Mambajao, Camiguin. The official Facebook page of the Lanzones Festival confirmed these dates directly. The main draw, the Inter-Agency Street Dancing and Ground Presentation Competition, falls on the Saturday toward the end of the week, consistent with how the festival has been structured in recent editions. The Camiguin LGU and the Provincial Tourism Office typically release the official full program on the Camiguin official page and on the Lanzones Festival Facebook page two to four weeks before the event opens.
For planning purposes, target October 18 for the opening activities and build in at least until October 25 if you want to catch everything from the first float to the last dance contingent.
What Is Lanzones Festival About?
The Lanzones Festival is a province-wide agricultural thanksgiving for the harvest of the lanzones fruit, locally called buahanan. The fruit is scientifically known as Lansium domesticum, and Camiguin’s volcanic soil, rich in potassium and phosphorus, gives the local variety a distinct sweetness that sets it apart from lanzones grown elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
The festival traces its roots to animistic agrarian rites, originally performed to appease the diwatas (nature spirits) and secure a good harvest for the following season. That mythology is still very much alive in the street dancing competition: choreography depicts the guardianship of these spirits over the crop, the labor of the harvest, and the community’s gratitude.
Over nearly five decades, the celebration has grown into a full civic spectacle covering all five municipalities of the province, anchored in Mambajao and coordinated by the provincial government under the “Isle Visit Camiguin 2026” tourism campaign. Camiguin is the only Philippine destination on The New York Times’ “52 Places to Go in 2026” list, ranked 37th, and the festival sits at the center of that international spotlight.
How to Get to Lanzones Festival
Getting to Camiguin for the Lanzones Festival takes advance planning because the island’s transport capacity is finite and fills up fast.
By Air (Fastest Route)
The quickest way in is a direct Cebgo flight from Mactan-Cebu International Airport (CEB) to Camiguin Airport (CGM) in Mambajao, approximately 50 minutes of airtime. Philippine Airlines’ PAL Express also serves this route. Off-peak fares from Cebu start around PHP 2,381, but festival-week prices are significantly higher due to demand. Book this route at least two to three months before October. From Manila, there are no reliable non-stop flights; expect a Cebu layover that pushes total transit time to around 4 hours and 50 minutes, with off-peak Manila fares starting near PHP 4,152 for the combined routing.
By Ferry from Cagayan de Oro (Most Popular Route)
Most domestic travelers use the CDO overland plus Balingoan-Benoni ferry route. From the Agora Bus Terminal in Cagayan de Oro, board a Bachelor Express or Rural Transit bus toward Balingoan. The coastal highway drive takes 2 to 2.5 hours, and the bus fare runs around PHP 200.
At Balingoan Port in Misamis Oriental, ferries for Benoni Port in Camiguin depart roughly every 45 minutes from early morning to late afternoon, operated by St. Benedict Ocean Shipping Lines, Philstone Shipping Corporation, and Asian Marine Transport Corporation. The crossing takes about one hour. Passenger fares average upward of PHP 250, plus a PHP 15 terminal fee and a PHP 17 environmental fee at the port gate.
Once you dock at Benoni Port, a public multicab to Mambajao costs around PHP 25 to 50. A habal-habal or motorela for the same 15 km trip runs PHP 150 to 300. Total cost from CDO by public transport lands between PHP 700 and PHP 1,000 for the full journey.
One non-negotiable step: you must pre-register on cleancamiguinqr.com at least 48 to 72 hours before travel and save your QR code offline. It will be scanned at Benoni Port on arrival. Do not leave this until you are already at Balingoan with no mobile signal.
This is also where to place a reminder about this festival in the context of Philippines festivals more broadly: https://lakbaypinas.com/festival-in-the-philippines-travel-guide/
Lanzones Festival Schedule of Events
The schedule below is based on the historical program structure of the 44th, 45th, and 46th iterations, which consistently followed this pattern.
| Date | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 18 | Opening ceremonies, Thanksgiving Mass | San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church, Mambajao |
| Oct 18 | Grand Parade of floats, opening march | Provincial Plaza to PPR Sports Complex |
| Oct 18 | Ugmad Agro-Industrial-Tourism Trade Fair opens | Cong. PPR Tourism and Sports Complex |
| Oct 18–25 | DAOS KI Festival Food Bazaar (daily menus) | Trade Fair grounds |
| Oct 18–25 | Battle of the Bands, Rocktober Night | PPR Sports Complex |
| Oct 18–25 | DocuFest public service booths (PRC, BIR, NBI, DFA, DMW, GSIS) | Festival grounds |
| Oct 18–25 | Diskwento Caravan and Kadiwa sa UGMAD market fair | Trade Fair grounds |
| Mid-week | Mutya sa Buahanan (Miss Camiguin Tourism) Coronation Night | PPR Sports Complex |
| Mid-week | King, Queen and Diwata Showdown | PPR Sports Complex |
| Mid-week | Pasigarbo sa Camiguin singing competition | PPR Sports Complex |
| Mid-week | Kabog Showdown | PPR Sports Complex |
| Mid-week | Lanzones Eat-All-You-Can event | Festival grounds |
| Oct 24 | Inter-Agency Street Dancing and Ground Presentation Competition | Camiguin Circumferential Road and PPR Sports Complex |
Tickets and Grandstand Prices at Lanzones Festival
All street events at Lanzones Festival are completely free to watch. The grand parade and the street dancing competition along the Camiguin Circumferential Road have no admission charge. You plant yourself on the roadside, and the show comes to you.
The Cong. PPR Tourism and Sports Complex (Mambajao Grandstand) hosts the tableau portion of the street dancing competition and major evening events. Specific grandstand ticket prices for the 2026 edition have not been officially announced as of this writing, which is normal because the LGU releases seating categories and prices closer to the event.
Based on past editions, reserved grandstand seats have been available in tiered sections, with general grandstand access historically under PHP 200, and premium front sections priced higher. Watch the official Lanzones Festival Facebook page for the 2026 breakdown.
Under Philippine law, the 20 percent senior citizen and PWD discount applies to all ticketed events. Bring your Senior Citizen ID or PWD ID to the gate. Most Lanzones Festival ticket sales operate on a cash basis, so carry small bills.
| Ticket / Area | Price (PHP) | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Street parade (roadside) | Free | Full parade and street dancing view |
| Ugmad Trade Fair | Free | All exhibit halls and product stalls |
| Eat-All-You-Can pavilion | Free | Lanzones fruit spread |
| Grandstand (reserved) | Announced by LGU pre-event | Seated view of tableau competition |
| Senior / PWD discount | 20% off any ticketed event | Present valid government-issued ID |
Best Viewing Spots at Lanzones Festival
The Inter-Agency Street Dancing and Lanzones Festival street dancing competition runs along the Camiguin Circumferential Road, starting from the Provincial Plaza in Mambajao and finishing at the Cong. PPR Tourism and Sports Complex. The route is your stage.
Here is an honest worth-it score for the main spots:
Provincial Plaza starting point (4/5): You see the contingents at full energy before fatigue sets in. Crowds build here early, so arrive before 5:30 AM. The energy is electric right at the jump-off.
Midpoint along Circumferential Road near the national highway junction (3/5): More space to move, easier to leave afterward, but contingents are mid-performance and heat is peaking by this stretch.
PPR Sports Complex grandstand (5/5): This is where the tableau judging happens, the costumes are closest, and you can actually sit. Worth paying for a reserved seat if you can get one. It fills earliest.
Roadside near the Mambajao market stretch (3/5): Free, easy to find food and water nearby, but the crowd packs in three to four people deep. Get there by 6:00 AM minimum.
Church side near San Nicolas de Tolentino (2/5): Good for the opening Thanksgiving Mass procession but not ideal for the main street dancing flow. Lower crowd pressure makes it comfortable for elderly visitors.
The sections closest to the PPR Sports Complex fill up the earliest. For the best free roadside spot on the main parade day, position yourself along the Provincial Plaza-to-complex stretch by 6:00 AM at the latest.
What to Wear and Bring to Lanzones Festival
October in Camiguin is warm and wet. The afternoon rain is a genuine risk, not a remote possibility.
| Item | Needed? |
|---|---|
| Light, breathable clothing | Yes, essential |
| Rain jacket or poncho | Yes, afternoon showers are frequent |
| Comfortable rubber shoes or sandals | Yes, roads get slippery |
| Sunscreen (SPF 50 or higher) | Yes, morning heat is intense |
| Refillable water bottle | Yes, hydrate constantly |
| Small backpack | Yes, free your hands for photos |
| Cash in small denominations | Yes, most stalls are cash-only |
| Power bank | Yes, long day, battery drains fast |
| QR code saved offline | Yes, mandatory for island entry |
| Valid ID (Senior / PWD) | If applicable, for ticket discounts |
Leave your valuables at the hotel. Pickpocketing risk rises in dense crowds and the pavement gets chaotic once the street dancing contingents pass.
Where to Stay for Lanzones Festival
Book accommodations 3 to 6 months in advance. Camiguin is a small island with a hard cap on hotel rooms and resort beds. By the time October arrives, every LGU-accredited property within walking distance of Mambajao is fully booked.
Staying in Mambajao town center or the Agoho beach area puts you within easy reach of the parade route. Agoho is a 10-minute multicab ride from the festival grounds and has a concentration of mid-range beachfront resorts. The town center itself has smaller guesthouses and inns, some literally a short walk from the Provincial Plaza.
Nightly rates during festival week run significantly higher than the off-season. Budget guesthouses that normally price around PHP 800 to PHP 1,200 per night move up to PHP 1,500 to PHP 2,500 during peak days. Mid-range resorts that sit at PHP 2,000 to PHP 3,000 off-season can climb to PHP 4,000 to PHP 6,000 for the street dancing weekend.
One critical rule: your accommodation must be on the LGU-accredited list on cleancamiguinqr.com. You select it from a dropdown when you register for your entry QR code. An unaccredited property means your QR code will not generate, which means you will not board the ferry or plane. This is not a technicality, it is a hard stop.
For the full range of tourist spots beyond the festival itself, https://lakbaypinas.com/tourist-spots-in-the-philippines/ is worth browsing before you finalize your itinerary. Camiguin has enough natural attractions to fill a full week even outside the festival calendar.
Getting Around During Lanzones Festival
On the main parade day, portions of the Camiguin Circumferential Road in Mambajao are closed or restricted to vehicular traffic as contingents take over the road. This typically means habal-habal and tricycles cannot move freely through the parade corridor from early morning until the last contingent finishes.
The practical move is to walk to your viewing spot early and stay put. Motorelas (Camiguin’s version of the tricycle, which can fit more than six passengers) operate on fixed routes but become scarce during the parade hours as drivers also stop to watch. Multicabs from Benoni Port to Mambajao run on the PHP 25 to PHP 50 range and are your cheapest option for longer distances outside festival hours. A habal-habal (motorcycle taxi) costs PHP 150 to PHP 300 for the Benoni-to-Mambajao trip, or roughly PHP 10 to PHP 15 for short town hops.
Motorbike rentals are available at PHP 350 to PHP 500 per day and are the most flexible option if you plan to explore the island between parade days. Multicab rentals for group island tours run PHP 1,700 to PHP 2,000 for a group of eight to ten.
Build in serious time buffers if you are departing Camiguin after the festival. Allow a minimum of 5 to 6 hours between leaving your hotel and arriving at the CDO airport, accounting for ferry loading at Benoni, the one-hour sea crossing, and the 2 to 2.5-hour coastal drive back to CDO.
Full Budget Breakdown for Lanzones Festival
This is a realistic solo traveler budget for 4 nights from CDO, without flights factored in separately.
| Expense | Cost (PHP) |
|---|---|
| CDO to Balingoan bus fare | PHP 200 |
| Balingoan to Benoni ferry (+ fees) | PHP 282 (fare + PHP 32 in port fees) |
| Benoni to Mambajao multicab | PHP 30 to PHP 50 |
| Accommodation (per night, mid-range) | PHP 1,500 to PHP 4,000 |
| 4 nights lodging (total) | PHP 6,000 to PHP 16,000 |
| Daily food (carinderia + street food) | PHP 200 to PHP 400 per day |
| Festival entrance (street events) | Free |
| Grandstand ticket (if reserved) | PHP 100 to PHP 300 estimated |
| Island transport (habal-habal, multicab) | PHP 200 to PHP 400 per day |
| Attraction fees (White Island, falls, etc.) | PHP 50 to PHP 150 per site |
| Total range (4 nights, without flights) | PHP 10,000 to PHP 22,000 |
Note that the festival itself costs nothing to attend. Your real spend is transport to the island, lodging, and food. Carry enough cash because ATMs in Mambajao can run dry during festival week.
Festival Etiquette and Safety at Lanzones Festival
The Lanzones Festival opens with a Thanksgiving Mass at the San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church in Mambajao. If you attend, dress modestly: covered shoulders and knees are appropriate. The street dancing and trade fair have no dress code beyond common sense for a hot outdoor day.
The street dancing competition depicts agrarian rites, harvest mythology, and the role of the diwatas. These are not theatrical decorations; they carry real cultural weight for the performers. Watch respectfully. Do not walk through a contingent mid-performance, do not block the official judges’ view, and do not pull performers off-route for selfies.
The provincial government enforces a strict CLAYGO (Clean As You Go) policy during all festival events. Marshals are deployed throughout the parade route and trade fair grounds. Dispose of waste properly. Camiguin’s identity as a clean, eco-conscious destination is taken seriously at every level of the local government.
Carry your original ID in a secure pocket, not loose in a bag. Medical tents and first aid stations are typically set up along the parade route and at the PPR Sports Complex grounds. Hydration is your biggest safety concern; the heat in Camiguin in late October combined with dense crowds can catch first-timers off guard faster than they expect.
For broader context on the island’s other iconic attractions, including the nearby Sunken Cemetery, read up before you go. After a full day at the festival, a late-afternoon boat trip to the Sunken Cemetery’s cross monument is one of the best ways to decompress.
The Ugmad Agro-Industrial-Tourism Trade Fair also runs the Buahanan DocuFest throughout the week, where national agencies including the PRC, DFA, NBI, BIR, DMW, and GSIS set up service booths. If you need a passport renewal, NBI clearance, or PRC registration, this is a legitimately useful stop on top of the festival itself.
For those planning their broader Philippines trip around festivals and top destinations, see also https://lakbaypinas.com/top-10-tourist-destination-in-the-philippines-2025/ and https://lakbaypinas.com/top-10-most-beautiful-places-in-the-philippines/.
What I’d Do Differently Next Time
I attended the 46th Lanzones Festival in 2025 and learned a few things the hard way.
I underestimated how long the queue at Balingoan Port gets on the Thursday and Friday before the main street dancing day. I waited over two hours to board. Next time, I would travel to the island on a Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest, well before the peak ferry crush, and plan my return for a Monday after the crowds thin.
I also arrived at my roadside spot at 7:00 AM thinking I had time. The front row was gone by 6:00 AM. I had a decent second-row view, which was still good, but I missed the opening contingent photo I wanted. An earlier wake-up call next time: 5:00 AM on street dancing day, positioned at the Provincial Plaza jump-off, is the move.
The last thing I’d change: I left the island the same day the dancing ended. That was a mistake. The day after is when the trade fair is actually easy to walk through, the Eat-All-You-Can pavilion has shorter lines, and the island itself returns to its quieter, genuinely lovely self. One extra night is worth every peso.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lanzones Festival
When exactly is the Lanzones Festival celebrated in Camiguin?
The Lanzones Festival is celebrated annually in the third week of October in Camiguin. The 47th edition runs October 18 to 25, 2026, with the main Inter-Agency Street Dancing and Ground Presentation Competition on Saturday, October 24, 2026. The festival consistently falls in the fourth quarter of October, timed to coincide with the lanzones harvest season.
How do I get to Camiguin Island for the Lanzones Festival?
There are two main routes. The fastest is a direct Cebgo or PAL Express flight from Cebu (CEB) to Camiguin Airport (CGM), which takes about 50 minutes. The more common route is from Cagayan de Oro: take a bus from the Agora Bus Terminal to Balingoan Port (about 2 to 2.5 hours, PHP 200 fare), then board a RoRo ferry to Benoni Port in Camiguin (about 1 hour, PHP 250-plus in fares and fees). All travelers must pre-register at cleancamiguinqr.com and have a QR code ready for scanning at the port.
Are there grandstand tickets for the Lanzones Festival street dancing competition?
The street dancing along the Camiguin Circumferential Road is completely free to watch from the roadside. Reserved grandstand seats at the Cong. PPR Tourism and Sports Complex are available for the tableau portion of the competition. Specific 2026 prices are released by the LGU before the event, with past editions offering tiered seating. The mandatory 20 percent senior citizen and PWD discount applies to all ticketed events on presentation of a valid government-issued ID.
What makes Camiguin lanzones sweeter than lanzones from other provinces?
Camiguin’s volcanic soil is rich in naturally occurring potassium and phosphorus, which directly affects the sugar content and texture of the fruit. A generous combination of rainfall, sunshine, and an intercropping system with coconut trees further enhances the flavor profile. The result is a variety of lanzones called longkong that is consistently sweeter and less bitter than counterparts grown on non-volcanic terrain elsewhere in the Philippines or in neighboring Southeast Asian countries.
What events and activities can I expect at the Lanzones Festival?
The festival runs a full week of programming. The opening day includes a Thanksgiving Mass at the San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church, a Grand Parade of floats from the Provincial Plaza to the PPR Sports Complex, and the launch of the Ugmad Agro-Industrial-Tourism Trade Fair. Throughout the week, evening events include Battle of the Bands, the Mutya sa Buahanan Coronation Night, the King, Queen and Diwata Showdown, the Pasigarbo sa Camiguin singing competition, and the Kabog Showdown.
The Lanzones Eat-All-You-Can pavilion runs during festival days, offering free fruit to the public. The climax is the Inter-Agency Street Dancing and Ground Presentation Competition on Saturday, where contingents from the province’s five municipalities, schools, and agencies perform choreography rooted in lanzones harvest mythology along the Circumferential Road.
Final Verdict: Is Lanzones Festival Worth It?
4.5 out of 5 for any traveler willing to plan three months ahead and accept that getting to the island is half the adventure. The Lanzones Festival is the rare event where the free street content is genuinely better than most ticketed festivals elsewhere in the country, and the island itself adds enough off-festival attractions, from the Sunken Cemetery to White Island to Ardent Hot Springs, to justify extending your stay well beyond the parade day. The one point deducted is purely for the logistical friction: Balingoan Port during festival week is exhausting, the QR registration system requires planning, and accommodations demand booking months out, all of which can blindside a traveler who shows up expecting a casual weekend trip.
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