The MassKara Festival is Bacolod City’s famous festival of smiles, held every October. It began in 1980, when the sugar industry crisis and a tragic sea disaster struck Negros, and the city chose to respond with a festival of smiling masks — “mass” for many and “kara” for face. Today MassKara is one of the Philippines’ biggest festivals, with street-dancing competitions in glittering smiling costumes, the Electric MassKara parade, and parties along Lacson Street. These photos were taken during the MassKara Festival in October 2013 in Bacolod City.
See also: MassKara Festival 2026 Schedule and Guide
Bacolod City
