What's on in Manila, Philippines through the year

Peak crowds — Feast of the Black Nazarene, Chinese New Year in Binondo

• Festival

  Feast of the Black Nazarene

  9 JanMajor festivalCrowdedClosures

  Millions of barefoot devotees pull the image through Quiapo in a procession that takes most of a day and sometimes into the night. Central roads close, phone signal is cut, and schools shut. Source ↗

• Holiday

  Chinese New Year in Binondo

  20 Jan – 25 Feb · usuallyLunar New YearCrowded

  The oldest Chinatown in the world does dragon dances down Ongpin and closes the streets to traffic for the day. It is a public holiday, so the rest of the city is quiet. Source ↗

Still on: Amihan, the cool dry months (1 Dec – 28 Feb (usually)), New Year's Eve firecrackers (31 Dec – 1 Jan)

Busy — Chinese New Year in Binondo, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Chinese New Year in Binondo (20 Jan – 25 Feb (usually)), Amihan, the cool dry months (1 Dec – 28 Feb (usually))

Busy — Holy Week, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Holy Week

  20 Mar – 20 Apr · usuallyClosuresBook early

  Manila empties: the ports and terminals are chaos for two days and then the roads are the emptiest they get all year. Almost everything closes from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday. Source ↗

Peak crowds — Holy Week, End-of-school-year break in Philippines

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Holy Week (20 Mar – 20 Apr (usually))

Busy — End-of-school-year break in Philippines, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in May.

Busy — End-of-school-year break in Philippines, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Habagat and street flooding

  1 Jun – 15 Oct · usuallyFlood season

  The southwest monsoon puts water across España and the low parts of Manila several times a season, and the city calls off work and school when it does. It clears in hours, not days.

• Hazard

  Typhoon season

  1 Jun – 30 Nov · usually

  Luzon takes the storms that cross from the Pacific, and it is the rain rather than the wind that stops the capital. Flights are cancelled a day ahead when a signal goes up. Source ↗

Quiet — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Habagat and street flooding (1 Jun – 15 Oct (usually)), Typhoon season (1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Habagat and street flooding (1 Jun – 15 Oct (usually)), Typhoon season (1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually))

Peak crowds — The Ber months, Term 1 wellness break in Philippines

• Holiday

  The Ber months

  1 Sep – 25 Dec · usuallyChristmas & New YearCrowded

  Carols in the malls from the first of September and four months of it. December adds Simbang Gabi dawn masses, office parties and the worst traffic of the year. Source ↗

Still on: Habagat and street flooding (1 Jun – 15 Oct (usually)), Typhoon season (1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually))

Peak crowds — The Ber months, Undas

• Holiday

  Undas

  29 Oct – 2 NovSchool holidaysCrowdedClosures

  Families camp overnight in the cemeteries for All Saints' and All Souls', and the rest of the country goes home for it. Provincial bus terminals are the worst crush of the year. Source ↗

Still on: Habagat and street flooding (1 Jun – 15 Oct (usually)), Typhoon season (1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually)), The Ber months (1 Sep – 25 Dec (usually))

Peak crowds — The Ber months, Undas

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Typhoon season (1 Jun – 30 Nov (usually)), The Ber months (1 Sep – 25 Dec (usually)), Undas (29 Oct – 2 Nov)

Peak crowds — The Ber months, New Year's Eve firecrackers

• Season

  Amihan, the cool dry months

  1 Dec – 28 Feb · usuallyDry season

  The one stretch when walking Intramuros in the middle of the day is reasonable and the floods are months away. It is also when the city is at its most booked.

• Holiday

  New Year's Eve firecrackers

  31 Dec – 1 JanNational holidayCrowdedRiskClosures

  Midnight is deafening and the smoke over the city takes most of the next morning to thin out. Hospitals run a running injury count, and almost nothing opens on 1 January. Source ↗

Still on: The Ber months (1 Sep – 25 Dec (usually))