The Dinagyang season officially begins during the
Pamukaw (awakening), held annually in December, one month prior to the main celebration in January. This event signifies the official start of the festival. The
Opening Salvo of Dinagyang, which takes place annually on the second Friday of January, serves as a proclamation of the official beginning of the highlight week or the main celebration of the festival. It is also a preliminary to the three major events, which are held annually every fourth weekend of January: the Ati Tribes Competition (held on a Sunday), the Kasadyahan Festival (held on a Saturday), and the ILOmination and Floats Parade of Lights (held on a Friday).Other events that are highly celebrated during the highlight week of the festival are
Sadsad (merrymaking), Food and Music Festivals, Fluvial and Motorcade Parades, and
Miss Iloilo.
Kasadyahan Festival The Kasadyahan Festival is one of the most anticipated events during the Dinagyang celebration. It is a competition among cultural festivals from different places in the
Western Visayas region. As an added attraction to the Ati Tribes competition, the Kasadyahan was introduced to the Dinagyang Festival in the 1980s to showcase the talents of students and the rich cultural heritage of
Iloilo province. In its early years, schools from various towns and cities in the province participated in the competition. Over time, it evolved into a regional event, welcoming entries from other provinces in the Western Visayas region and highlighting the region’s diverse cultural and historical heritage. In Dinagyang 2020, the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI) removed the Kasadyahan from the Dinagyang Festival. It was replaced by merry-making or the
sadsad, a central feature of the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan. Plans were made to celebrate Kasadyahan in a separate month or possibly incorporate it into Iloilo City’s Charter Day festivities. However, these plans were canceled due to the pandemic. The Kasadyahan Festival returned to the Dinagyang celebration in 2023, held on the Saturday before the main highlights of the Mardi Gras celebration the following day. In 2024, the Iloilo provincial government took over the management of the festival from the city government, rebranding it as
Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan. The new iteration showcased various town festivals from Iloilo province competing for the title.
ILOmination and Parade of Lights The ILOmination is an additional Dinagyang tribes competition where warriors wear colorfully lit costumes. First added in 2023, it showcases seven competing tribes representing the
seven districts of Iloilo City, namely the
City Proper,
Arevalo,
Jaro,
La Paz,
Lapuz,
Mandurriao, and
Molo. It is a parade-type street dance competition that allows spectators to witness every performance from the tribes. In 2025, it was rebranded as the ILOmination Philippine Light Festival, showcasing various light festivals from across the Philippines. The Floats Parade of Lights is also featured during the event, where gigantic and colorful floats of the sponsors for the Dinagyang Festival are going by the parade. It was first added in the 2018 edition during the 50th anniversary of the Dinagyang Festival. The ILOmination and Parade of Lights primarily take place in the business districts of
Mandurriao, moving through
Atria Park District,
SM City Iloilo, and
Iloilo Business Park.
Ati Tribes Competition The main highlight of the Dinagyang Festival is the Ati Tribes Competition, also known as the Dinagyang Tribes Competition. The event features "Ati warrior" dancers in elaborate costumes, typically including vibrant headdresses adorned with colorful fabrics, feathers, beads, and other embellishments. The performers dance in choreographed formations, intricate patterns, and chant in unison, all synchronized to the beats of loud drums and improvised percussion instruments created by each tribe (locally called
tribu). In the festival's early years, many tribes were formed and organized by
barangays or communities around Iloilo City. However, as Dinagyang evolved and the competition gained worldwide fame and recognition, schools began organizing tribes. These school-based tribes introduced dynamic new dance patterns, formations, and choreography. To fund their participation, they solicited sponsorships from private companies to cover expenses. No actual
Ati people are involved in the competition, nor do they directly benefit from it. One of the requirements for participants is to paint their skin black and use indigenous-inspired materials for their costumes. All dances are performed to the rhythm of drum music. While many tribes are organized by local high schools, some tribes in recent years have come from distant provinces, including
Batanes in Luzon and
Cotabato in Mindanao. The tribes receive subsidies from the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI) and the Iloilo City government, with private sponsors providing additional support. Tribes that perform exceptionally well often attract more sponsorships. The current Ati population in Iloilo does not actively participate in the competition or benefit from it. However, in recent years, the original Ati people from the hinterlands of Panay, particularly from the mountains of
Barotac Nuevo and
Anilao, have been invited to participate non-competitively. This aims to recognize their cultural significance and highlight their role as the symbolic inspiration for the festival. The Ati Tribes Competition, along with the Kasadyahan Festival, is primarily held in the
downtown area, with multiple stages set up on different streets, with the
Iloilo Freedom Grandstand as the main stage. For the 2026 edition, the
Iloilo Sports Complex was added as one of the main venues for the first time since 2012.
Grand Champions The grand champion of the Ati Tribes Competition receives a trophy and a cash prize, and also gets a chance to perform at the year’s
Philippine Independence Day rites in
New York City. They will also represent Dinagyang in the annual
Aliwan Fiesta held in the
Star City Complex in
Pasay, Metro Manila, where they will compete in the dance competition category against other winning groups from festivals across the country. As of Dinagyang 2026, the reigning grand champion is Tribu Salognon of Jaro National High School. ==Legacy==