TTT NEWS NETWORK
PANAJI | 9 JUNE 2026
India’s coastal state of Goa will hold its annual, vibrant monsoon season Sao Jao festival later this month on June 24.
The festival is known for people wearing floral crowns, singing traditional folk songs and joyfully leaping into water bodies to symbolize the biblical leap of St. John – the Baptist.
The pre-festival event will kick on the preceding day of the evening of June 23. The festival will be held Siolim in North Goa, which is considered the epicenter and the birthplace of this fiesta.
“This year we are doing some creative digital backdrops displaying the significance of the festival and depicting the same with vibrant flowers which will be digitally displayed on the backdrop. Besides this we will also be showcasing some 3d props which will be specially designed and customised for Sao Joao,” said one of the organisers of the festival.
At a meeting held to review the preparations of the festival, Goa’s Tourism Minister Shri Rohan Khaunte said, “Sao Joao is a cherished celebration of Goa’s rich cultural heritage and community spirit. We are committed to supporting organizers in delivering a safe, vibrant, and memorable festival experience. I invite visitors and locals alike to join the festivities and experience the unique traditions that make Goa special.”
The festival will also see a new composition of Sao Joao track which will be played from stage and choreographed with dancers. Every Boat that takes part in the parade will have its emblem/name displayed on the backdrop. Live feed of the boats coming in will be captured and using wireless cameras and displayed live on the net for followers across the world to see.
The band in attendance will be Black In White to stun the audience with their lively music. New criteria has also been listed for the boats to compete which ban use of sponsored logos and is a strictly no alcohol festival, the organizer said.
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