Quick answer, for those who want to start planning: the 2026 São Miguel Arcanjo Festival runs from September 19 to 29, with events every day next to the Igreja Matriz. The peak day is Saturday, September 26: in the morning there is the São Miguel Arcanjo Run and a small fair with local food and crafts, and from 10 pm the shows by Camyla Mello, Flay and Desejo de Menina take place on Praia do Maceió. The venue changed: because of roadworks on Rua da Xêpa, the city government moved the shows to Maceió, with the same acts and times. On the patron saint's liturgical day, Tuesday, September 29, the program closes with a bike ride in the morning.
This is not just another date on the local calendar. It is the celebration of the patron saint who gave the town its name, with roots in the 19th century, and which in 2025 became Cultural and Intangible Heritage of Rio Grande do Norte. If you are planning your trip or just want to understand why this date matters to the whole town, here you will find the history, the confirmed acts, the exact location and what is worth knowing before you go.
The most traditional festival in São Miguel do Gostoso
The town's name is no coincidence. On September 29, 1884, the day dedicated to São Miguel Arcanjo (Saint Michael the Archangel) in the Catholic calendar, Friar João do Amor Divino set up a cross and celebrated the first mass in the village that would come to be called Gostoso. Shortly after, a resident named Miguel Felix Martins, seriously ill, promised the saint he would build a chapel in his honor if he recovered. He got better, kept his promise, and the image of São Miguel Arcanjo became the village's official patron saint. Over time, people started calling the town "São Miguel" together with "Gostoso", the name that has stayed to this day.
That is why the September festival is not just another high-season event. It celebrates the birth of the town itself, and so it brings together the church, the city government and local businesses in one of the busiest periods of the year, alongside the strong-wind season that draws kitesurfers.
Cultural and Intangible Heritage of Rio Grande do Norte
In 2025, the São Miguel Arcanjo Festival received official recognition: Governor Fátima Bezerra signed State Law No. 12.103/2025, declaring the celebration Religious, Cultural, Tourist and Intangible Heritage of the State. The São Miguel do Gostoso city government describes this recognition in this official post, which explains the festival's weight in the town's religious identity and how many people it brings to town every year.
This does not change the feel of a popular festival on the sand, but it helps explain why the program grows from one edition to the next and why it is worth booking accommodation early if you are coming from out of town.
Full schedule: September 19 to 29
The festival is not only the night of shows. Every day from September 19 to 28 there is a quermesse (church fair) from 6:30 pm next to the Igreja Matriz, with a music performance at 9 pm. On Saturday, September 26, the day starts early: at 5 am the 1st São Miguel Arcanjo Run leaves, at 11:30 am the small fair opens next to the Matriz with local food, crafts and live music, and at night the shows take place on Praia do Maceió. On the patron saint's liturgical day, Tuesday, September 29, the program closes in the morning with a bike ride leaving from Potiporã.
Confirmed acts for 2026
The line-up announced by the city government has three well-known names in forró and piseiro:
- Camyla Mello, a singer known as "A Dona do Forró" (the Queen of Forró), with a repertoire that mixes classics and recent hits of the genre.
- Flay, one of the most played voices in northeastern forró and piseiro in recent years.
- Desejo de Menina, an electronic forró band formed in Petrolina (PE) in 2003 and one of the most traditional names in romantic forró in Brazil.
You could feel the anticipation right in the comments on the announcement: people celebrating Desejo de Menina's return to town, hoping the Xêpa fills up. That kind of reaction, repeated every edition, is why this is the biggest popular festival on Gostoso's calendar.
Practical tip: if you are coming from out of town just for the show, get to Praia do Maceió early. Spots near the stage tend to fill up fast after 9 pm.
Where it will happen: Praia do Maceió, no longer the Xêpa
Update from 09/26/2026: the São Miguel do Gostoso city government, together with the Parish, announced that the festival was moved to Praia do Maceió because of ongoing roadworks on Rua da Xêpa, the main access to Praia da Xêpa. The program, the acts and the times stay the same. The religious program continues next to the Igreja Matriz. The paragraph below describes the Xêpa, which is the festival's usual venue.
Praia da Xêpa is the most central beach in São Miguel do Gostoso, with white sand and calm water, without strong waves. It is also where the largest concentration of bars and restaurants in town is, on the access street that shares the beach's name, a few steps from the Igreja de São Miguel Arcanjo, the same one built because of the promise that gave rise to the festival. Since it already has sports courts and open space, the Xêpa is the natural stage for the town's main public celebrations, including New Year's Eve.
Practical information
- Dates: September 19 to 29, 2026, with the peak on Saturday the 26th
- Times: quermesse from 6:30 pm every day next to the Matriz; Saturday show (09/26) from 10 pm on Praia do Maceió
- Location: Igreja Matriz (religious program and quermesse) and Praia do Maceió (Saturday shows, 09/26), São Miguel do Gostoso (RN)
- Acts: Camyla Mello, Flay and Desejo de Menina
- Admission: public event run by the city government, with no ticket charge announced in the official program
How to follow festival updates
The official program and any last-minute changes usually come out first on the São Miguel do Gostoso city government's Instagram (@saomigueldogostosogov), which also posted the official promo video for the festival announcing the acts. For tips on where to stay, what to do in town outside festival season and other Gostoso news, follow our Instagram, @vivegostoso.
Frequently asked questions
When is the São Miguel Arcanjo Festival in 2026?
The festival runs from September 19 to 29, 2026, with a quermesse and religious program every day next to the Igreja Matriz. The big forró show is on Saturday, September 26, from 10 pm, on Praia do Maceió, with Camyla Mello, Flay and Desejo de Menina. On the patron saint's liturgical day, Tuesday, September 29, the festival closes with a bike ride in the morning, leaving from Potiporã.
Is there a program on other days besides the Saturday show?
Yes. From September 19 to 28, there is a quermesse every day from 6:30 pm next to the Igreja Matriz, with a music performance at 9 pm. On the patron saint's liturgical day, Tuesday, September 29, the festival closes with a bike ride in the morning, leaving from Potiporã.
Who is performing at the festival this year?
The city government confirmed shows by Camyla Mello, Flay and Desejo de Menina for the night of September 26, on Praia do Maceió. The stage moved away from the Xêpa because of roadworks on Rua da Xêpa.
Is the festival paid?
It is a public event organized by the São Miguel do Gostoso city government. The official program released does not mention a ticket charge to watch the shows on the beach.
Why is the town called São Miguel do Gostoso?
The name comes from joining the patron saint, São Miguel Arcanjo, with "Gostoso", the village's original name. Local tradition says a resident promised to build a chapel to the saint if he recovered from a serious illness, kept his promise after getting better, and so São Miguel Arcanjo became the town's official patron saint.
Where is Praia da Xêpa?
It is the most central beach in São Miguel do Gostoso, a few minutes' walk from the town center and from the Igreja de São Miguel Arcanjo, with the largest concentration of bars and restaurants in the municipality.