São João - Porto

On the 23rd June, early afternoon, I grabbed my camera and went out to Porto’s streets with the only goal of enjoying and documenting Sao Joao, the best party of the year.

Between grills, trailers selling “farturas" and carousels, you can hear the stories of the old days told by the mouths of those who lived them.

The streets get filled with life, people are proud of their decorated houses and share food, drink and joy throughout the day. "Pimba” music becomes king, the streets turn into dance floors, balloons are launched and everybody parties until dawn.

Porto becomes a village, a true community, and everyone wants to taste a little bit of this festival. The leek was replaced by a plastic hammer, but apart from that, the essence of São João hasn't changed that much!

At the end of the night, my watch marked 27,568 steps. I returned home with many kilometers on my feet and a bit tired, but with the certainty that São João will always be the People's party, and the best Portuguese party, no matter how many years go by.

Shot with: Sony Alpha 7iv
Drone: Dji Mavic Air 2
Editing: Adobe Premiere Pro