The 2025 Peñafrancia Festival in Naga City, the month-long celebration of faith and tradition, culminated in the feast day of Our Lady of Peñafrancia which fell on the third Sunday of the month, September 21, 2025. The main events included the Traslacion procession, a grand Fluvial procession along the Naga River, cultural shows, and spiritual gatherings, drawing thousands of devotees and tourists.
Traslacion — The transfer of the image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia from the Basilica to Naga Cathedral, carried by hundreds of male devotees. Despite the heavy downpour, approximately 800,000 devotees turned up for the Peñafrancia Traslacion on September 12, 2025. The faithful gathered along the streets to catch a glimpse of the images of Our Lady of Peñafrancia and El Divino Rostro as they made their way from the Old Peñafrancia Shrine and Parish to the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral. (refrence: Hugot Seminarista)
Fine photography by the Naga City Tourism Office, Peñafrancia Basilica Minore and JO Studio.
Fluvial Procession — The highlight of the fiesta, a grand procession of boats along the Naga River.
On September 20, 2025 the Naga River became a sacred stream of devotees as 1.8 million pilgrims, voyadores, and visitors gathered for the Fluvial Procession of Our Lady of Peñafrancia—marking one of the largest turnouts in the festival’s history. The flower-adorned pagoda carrying Ina glided through candlelit waters, accompanied by chants of “Viva La Virgen!” and waves of emotion from the riverbanks to the rooftops. (reference: tourism.naga.gov.ph)
Fine photography by Naga City Deck and Naga City Tourism Office.
The Peñafrancia Festival is one of the largest Marian festivals in Southeast Asia, a major religious event, and a significant cultural experience for the Bicol Region. It serves as a convergence zone of devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia, honoring her as the patroness of the Bicol Region.
The header features a photo of the fluvial procession courtesy of Naga City Deck, a popular (194K followers) and long-running (established in 2009) personal blog based in Naga City.