☰MassKara Festival

Bacolod's biggest event and one of the Philippines' most famous festivals. Dancers in elaborate smiling masks fill the streets for weeks in October, with competitions, street parties, and food everywhere. Started in 1980 as a response to economic hardship — the sugar industry had collapsed and a major ferry disaster had shaken the region — the festival was a deliberate act of defiance, choosing joy over despair. The centrepiece is the street dance competition, with troupes in brightly painted masks performing choreographed routines. The energy is infectious, and the whole city turns into a party.