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Ourense’s Festa dos Maios: when to visit and how to prepare an entry

Ourense’s Festa dos Maios takes place on the first Sunday in May. Turespaña lists 2 May for 2027. For a visit look for the display and sung verses in the programme. To enter a competition check who organises it and read its rules before preparing a figure. Ourense has its own date rather than following Pontevedra’s 1 May.

Peony against a dark green background
Colour and shape vary between cultivars. Use it as a visual reference rather than to identify a plant.

The first Sunday in May and your visit’s programme

Ourense Tourism places the festival on the morning of the first Sunday in May. Its 2026 programme was for 3 May and Turespaña announces 2 May 2027. The local rule and that date agree. Check places and times in the programme for the year you want to attend.

The celebration in this guide belongs to the city of Ourense. It is not a shared date for the whole province or Galicia. To combine it with Pontevedra consult the two guides separately. Maios there take place on 1 May and follow a different programme.

What the maios are and why to hear the coplas

Maios are figures combining a frame with plant decoration. Municipal information describes traditional cones or pyramids alongside figures with freely chosen themes. To understand what you are seeing look at the shape and how the texture changes across the work. These pieces are not all bouquets or constructed in the same way.

The coplas are sung verses accompanying the figures and commenting satirically on current affairs. Take time to hear them to discover another part of the group’s work. Walking through the display lets you see the creation but may mean missing its performance. The tourism account of this custom does not replace competition rules.

A short visit can include figures and singing

In 2026 the municipal programme placed the display at 11am and the coplas at noon in Rúa do Paseo. The awards were scheduled for 7pm in Praza Maior. These are separate moments and those times belong to that edition. You do not have to wait for the awards to plan a visit to the display.

For example, with only part of the morning available choose a walk around the figures and leave time for the coplas. Find those two moments in the current programme before deciding when to arrive. If someone needs to avoid steps or rest ask Tourism about access and a place for a break. A street name does not guarantee that the whole route meets their needs.

For an entry identify the organiser first

The festival includes municipal awards but other organisations may also run competitions. In 2026 La Región announced its own competition with its own jury and registration until 2 May. That date belongs to the newspaper’s announcement. Do not use it as the council’s deadline or as a deadline for another year.

Before building a piece choose the competition you want to enter and obtain its full rules. Confirm category, materials, dimensions and registration method with its organiser. As a group agree who submits the application and who coordinates the figure and verses. The festival programme helps plan a visit but does not show that you already meet the entry conditions.

Before donating flowers ask what the group needs

The municipal description mentions moss, leaves, flowers and carrabouxos. These oak galls form part of the traditional decoration. This account is not a shopping list or permission to collect wild material. To help ask which materials the group needs and agree their source and possible substitutions before ordering.

You could say: “I would like to help with your maio. Do you need materials or help with a task? Please tell me the amount and who can receive it.” Then confirm preparation and delivery. The transport guide can help once the material is agreed. The sources consulted do not announce unrestricted acceptance of visitors’ bouquets.

Frequently asked questions

When are Ourense’s Maios in 2027?

Turespaña lists 2 May 2027. This matches the first Sunday in May indicated by Ourense Tourism. Check that edition’s municipal programme for places and times.

Are they on the same day as Pontevedra’s Maios?

Ourense follows the first Sunday in May and Pontevedra 1 May. They can coincide in some years but you should not use one city’s calendar or conditions to plan a visit to the other.

Do the display and awards have the same time?

They are separate moments. In 2026 the display was scheduled for 11am in Rúa do Paseo and the awards for 7pm in Praza Maior. Check the times for the year of your visit.

Which rules do I need to enter a maio?

Those of the competition you want to enter. Identify the organiser and confirm category, materials and registration. La Región’s 2026 competition had its own announcement and its deadline does not apply to the municipal one.

Sources and what they support

How we put these guides together

We consult institutional sources to check dates and customs. For plant facts, we use horticultural sources. Our gift ideas start with each flower’s appearance and the recipient’s taste. A shop link documents a particular offer. It does not prove that a flower is popular or part of a tradition. We keep adding to this selection rather than claiming to cover every species.

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