Fiesta de Santa Marta de Ribarteme (Santa Marta of Ribarteme Festival) in As Neves, Spain unfolds each late July, honoring Saint Martha, invoked for protection after illness or close calls. After church services in the parish of San Xosé de Ribarteme, devotees who have “cheated death” are carried through the streets in open coffins—the famous os cadaleitos—as prayers and folk chants rise. The procession circles the church and cemetery, then the village shifts to music, food stalls, and Galician summertime revelry.
DATES & TIMES
• Festival day (2026): 29 July 2026 — held every year on 29 July (Santa Marta’s feast day). Association site · Turismo de Galicia.
• Typical schedule: Morning masses (often hourly from 08:00–11:00), Solemn Mass at 12:00 followed by the coffin procession; an evening Mass ~20:00. Exact 2026 timetable will publish on the association’s page. See recent program.
LOCATION
• Where: Parish of San Xosé de Ribarteme, As Neves (Pontevedra, Galicia).
• Open in Google Maps (Santa Marta church) · Rías Baixas tourism.
TICKETS & ENTRY
• Free public pilgrimage (no tickets). Expect large crowds around the church and procession route. Learn more.
GOOD TO KNOW
• What happens: After the 12:00 Solemn Mass, relatives carry devotees in open coffins to give thanks to Santa Marta, then circle from the church toward the cemetery and back while a traditional gozos is chanted. Procession details.
• Etiquette: Treat it as a religious ceremony (no stepping into the procession; keep photos discreet near the coffins).
• Arrival tips: Arrive early for the 12:00 Mass and procession; village streets are narrow and fill quickly—use signed parking/approaches for As Neves.