Blow a Horn as the Confetti Falls
At midnight on December 31, the streets of Davao City fill with a sound you will not hear anywhere else in the Philippines: tens of thousands of plastic party horns, blown at once. This is the Torotot Festival, Davao City's answer to a fireworks ban that has been in force since 2002. Instead of pyrotechnics, the city hands the celebration to the crowd — a parade of locals in colourful costumes winds through the streets, a competition is held for the most creative torotot, and the whole thing tips into a block party and countdown. The largest festivities have historically centred on Rizal Park, near San Pedro Metropolitan Cathedral, where the crowd is thickest and the horn-blowing loudest. Arrive early, buy a torotot from a street vendor, and join in. The event has been held annually since 2014, and the city reliably stages it each New Year's Eve.
Walk the Markets for Midnight Food
Davao's street food scene runs late on New Year's Eve, and the area around Rizal Park and the cathedral is where you will find it. Look for grilled skewers, bibingka, and the fruit stalls that Davao is known for — durian, mangosteen, and pomelo are all in season around the New Year. The markets stay busy through the countdown and into the early hours of January 1. Bring cash in small bills and expect crowds.
Join the Street Party and Countdown
The Torotot Festival is not a spectator event. The parade of costumed locals moves through the streets, and anyone can fall in behind it. The torotot competition is the centrepiece — participants decorate their horns and compete for the most creative entry. Confetti and party poppers are the sanctioned substitutes for firecrackers, so expect the air to be full of paper and the ground to be slippery with it by 1 a.m. The countdown itself happens in the streets, not on a stage, which means you are part of it wherever you stand.
Know the Rhythm of the Night
- December 31, evening: Markets and street food stalls open; crowds begin gathering around Rizal Park and the cathedral.
- Late evening: The costume parade and torotot competition get underway.
- Midnight: Countdown, mass horn-blowing, confetti.
- After midnight: Street block party continues; food stalls stay open.
- January 1: A quiet public holiday — most businesses closed, streets emptying through the morning.
Fireworks and firecrackers are banned in Davao City, so do not expect a pyrotechnic display. The torotot is the substitute, and the city takes it seriously.
Plan Around the Crowds
Rizal Park and the streets around San Pedro Metropolitan Cathedral are the heart of the celebration, and they will be packed. If you want a view of the parade, stake out a spot along the route before the evening rush. If you want to be in the middle of it, arrive after dark and follow the sound of the horns. Accommodation in the city centre books up for New Year's Eve, so reserve well ahead. The event is free and open to the public — there are no tickets, no VIP sections, and no official programme published far in advance. What you get is what the city does every year: a parade, a competition, a countdown, and a lot of noise.