Magayon Festival Albay: Dates and Status
Last reviewed: 12 September 2026.
The Magayon Festival is Albay’s provincial celebration, usually held in May and named with the Bikol word for beautiful. The 2026 festival was called off. This page will not send you to a May 2026 programme that the province did not hold.
| At a glance | What to use |
|---|---|
| Place | Albay province |
| Name | Magayon, Bikol for beautiful, used for Albay and for Mayon |
| Usual window | May, when the province holds it |
| 2026 | Called off. The budget was realigned. It was not rescheduled in the reports used here. |
| 2025 | Also not held, in an election no-spending period, according to a provincial report |
| Next edition | Not a ticket until Albay publishes a 2027 calendar |
What it is, and what the name is not
Magayon means beautiful in Bikol. The festival uses that word for the province and for Mayon Volcano. Manila Bulletin, citing the Department of Tourism in Bicol, dates the civic festival to the late 1990s. The Daragang Magayon legend is a separate story about the volcano. It is not a schedule, and this page will not retell it as the festival’s minutes.
What happened in 2026
On 18 March 2026 the Manila Bulletin reported that Governor Noel Rosal had cancelled the Magayon Festival and redirected more than 20 million pesos to recovery, assistance and resilience programmes. GMA, citing the Albay Provincial Information Office, reported the same cancellation and said the 2025 festival had also been dropped to comply with election spending rules. The Inquirer reported the funds were realigned amid fuel prices and Mayon unrest, and that a local Pinangat Festival postponement was covered by an executive order. A Bicol radio report used the word postponed. None of those reports published a later 2026 Magayon week. Treat 2026 as not held.
Do not use an old May poster
Tourism calendars that still list Magayon as 1 to 31 May, including notes about a COVID cancellation, are not the 2026 record. The 2026 record is a provincial decision not to stage it. If you are in Albay in May, ask the province whether anything replaced the festival. Do not assume a street dance in Legazpi.
If a later year is announced
- May is the pattern, not a reservation. Wait for the provincial calendar.
- Mayon restrictions can change a week with no regard for a festival poster. Check the volcano bulletin separately.
- This is a provincial programme, not the Peñafrancia fiesta in Naga. They are different cities and different months.
- A legend retelling is not a visitor briefing. Get the gate, the town and the day from Albay tourism.
Confirm it here
- Manila Bulletin, 18 March 2026: https://mb.com.ph/2026/03/18/albay-cancels-magayon-festival-2026-redirects-p20-m-fund-to-aid-albayanos
- GMA, citing the provincial information office: https://www.gmanetwork.com/regionaltv/news/113394/2-festivals-cancelled-due-to-rising-fuel-prices/story/
- Inquirer on the Albay festivals called off: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2198319/albay-festivals-called-off-amid-mayon-unrest-fuel-price-hike-concerns
- Calendar hub: https://festivepinoy.com/festivals-in-the-philippines-complete-guide/
Frequently asked questions
Was the Magayon Festival held in 2026?
No. The province called it off in March 2026 and realigned more than 20 million pesos. Reports used here did not publish a replacement week.
When is the Magayon Festival usually held?
In May, when Albay stages it. May is not a 2027 ticket until the province publishes dates.
What does Magayon mean?
It is Bikol for beautiful. The festival uses the word for Albay and for Mayon. The Daragang Magayon legend is a volcano story, not the festival calendar.
Where is the Magayon Festival?
In Albay. Venues change with the year’s programme. It is not the Peñafrancia fiesta, which is in Naga City in September.
Was Magayon held in 2025?
GMA, citing the provincial information office, reported that the 2025 festival was also not held, because of election spending rules.
