Higalaay Festival in Cagayan de Oro 2025: The City of Golden Friendship Fiesta
Ang Higalaay Festival 2025 is Cagayan de Oro’s biggest and most colorful annual celebration, held every August in honor of St. Augustine, the city’s patron saint. Known as the Festival of Friendship, Higalaay embodies the true spirit of CDO as the “City of Golden Friendship,” showcasing warm hospitality, unity, and vibrant culture.
Every year, thousands of locals and tourists flock to Cagayan de Oro to experience a month-long fiesta filled with:
- 🎉 Street Dancing Competitions featuring traditional Mindanaoan beats, colorful costumes, and synchronized performances.
- 🌸 Floats of Friendship Parade, where intricately designed floats showcase artistry, culture, and creativity.
- 🙏 Religious Processionsat ang Feast of St. Augustinesa August 28, the most solemn highlight of the festival.
- 🍴 Food Fairs and Trade Exhibits, bringing together local delicacies, crafts, and CDO’s entrepreneurial spirit.
- 🎶 Concerts, Fireworks Displays, and Night Parties, giving the festival its modern and youthful vibe.
Why Visit the Higalaay Festival?
If you’re planning to visit Mindanao , the Higalaay Festival is a must-experience cultural event. It blends faith, tradition, and festivity, making it one of the most anticipated festivals in the Philippines. Tourists can explore CDO’s famous adventure spots like whitewater rafting, taste local delicacies such as pastel and sinuglaw, and enjoy the city’s vibrant nightlife—all while immersing in the friendship-filled fiesta atmosphere.
Higalaay Festival 2025 Schedule
The celebration peaks in the last week of August, but events start as early as the first week of the month. Expect grand street parades, food bazaars, concerts, and citywide activities that highlight the best of CDO’s culture and traditions.
Experience the City of Golden Friendship
Ang Higalaay Festival in CDO is more than just a fiesta—it’s an invitation to celebrate life, friendship, and culture. Whether you’re a local returning home or a tourist discovering Cagayan de Oro for the first time, the Higalaay Festival 2025 promises unforgettable moments and warm Kagay-anon hospitality.
WINNERS of the Higalaay Dance Showdown:
Grand Champion – Barangay Lumbia
to receive 500,000 prize
1st Runner Up – Barangay Lapasan
to receive 400,000 prize
2nd Runner Up – Barangay Carmen
to receive 300,00 prize
WINNERS OF THE STREETDANCING:
Grand Champion – Barangay Lumbia
to receive 50,000 prize
1st Runner Up – Barangay Kauswagan
to receive 40,000 prize
2nd Runner Up – Barangay Carmen
to receive 30,000 prize
SPECIAL AWARDS to receive 20,000 each
Best in Costume – Barangay Kauswagan
Best in Choreography (Automatic winner) – Barangay Lumbia
Best in Production Design Barangay Lumbia
Best in Musicality Barangay Gusa
Best Storyline – Barangay Lumbia
