Fatima to host 11th Blessing of Helmets pilgrimage

The Sanctuary of Fatima is preparing for the 11th Pilgrimage of the Blessing of Helmets, scheduled for 20 September. The event is expected to draw thousands of motorcyclists from Portugal and abroad.

Presided over by the Patriarch of Lisbon, Dom Rui Valério, the ceremony will expand this year to include similar celebrations in the Azores and Madeira for the first time. The event has become one of the largest motorcycle gatherings in Portugal, with approximately 180,000 participants recorded in 2025.

Father Carlos Cabecinhas, the rector of the Sanctuary, has called for the event to be a time of prayer and remembrance for those lost on the roads, while urging participants to practice prudence and road safety.