What's happening? The Municipality of San Juan officially announced the dates for the 56th edition of the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián, which will be held from Thursday, Jan. 15 to Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026.
Over those four days, Old San Juan will fill with history, music, art and tradition, reaffirming the official motto: "The largest cultural event in the Caribbean". 🇵🇷
It was also confirmed that Telemundo Puerto Rico and SBS Puerto Rico will be the official television channel and radio station of SanSe 2026, a partnership that will broaden the event's coverage and bring the celebration closer to the diaspora and international audiences.
Artisans: the heart of SanSe 2026
The promotional video featured visual elements referencing Puerto Rican arts, including printmaking, wood carving, painting and mosaics, in a presentation that serves as a tribute to local craftsmanship and the trades that are part of the country's cultural identity.
"When we look at what is currently Puerto Rico's main point of reference in the entire world, it is the arts, it is music, at times it has been sports — those are the things that define us," said San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero.
A celebration that drives the local economy
The mayor also highlighted the economic impact this celebration has on small business owners and the creative communities of Old San Juan.
"For us it is a very important event. The 2025 edition had an estimate that exceeded $90 million, particularly for that Old San Juan economy of artisans, of people who make — as we would say at my house — their August at the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián," Romero said.
The previous edition recorded more than 1,075,000 visits in just four days, within a historic downtown spanning 13 streets and home to between 7,000 and 8,000 residents.
The event, Romero added, also represents an opportunity to continue positioning Puerto Rico as a cultural reference point in the Caribbean and to keep drawing international attention to the Island through its artistic expressions.
A celebration of our culture
With the Telemundo Puerto Rico partnership, the Municipality of San Juan aims to amplify the message and invite tourists as well as the diaspora to be part of the major celebration that marks the close of one of the longest Christmas seasons in the world.
"The Fiestas are a celebration of Puerto Rican history, of Puerto Rican traditions, of our culture, of our arts, of our people and town," the mayor emphasized.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
