📅 Brazil Public Holidays 2026 & 2027
Public Holidays 2026
| Date | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2026 · Thu | New Year's Day (Confraternização Universal) | Public |
| 16 Feb 2026 · Mon | Carnival (Carnaval) | Public |
| 17 Feb 2026 · Tue | Carnival (Carnaval) | Public |
| 3 Apr 2026 · Fri | Good Friday (Sexta-feira Santa) | Public |
| 5 Apr 2026 · Sun | Easter Sunday (Domingo de Páscoa) | Public |
| 21 Apr 2026 · Tue | Tiradentes Day (Dia de Tiradentes) | Public |
| 1 May 2026 · Fri | Labour Day (Dia do Trabalhador) | Public |
| 4 Jun 2026 · Thu | Corpus Christi | Public |
| 7 Sep 2026 · Mon | Independence Day (Dia da Independência) | Public |
| 12 Oct 2026 · Mon | Our Lady of Aparecida (Nossa Senhora Aparecida) | Public |
| 2 Nov 2026 · Mon | All Souls' Day (Dia de Finados) | Public |
| 15 Nov 2026 · Sun | Republic Day (Proclamação da República) | Public |
| 20 Nov 2026 · Fri | Black Awareness Day (Dia da Consciência Negra) | Public |
| 25 Dec 2026 · Fri | Christmas Day (Natal) | Public |
Public Holidays 2027
Provisional — most countries publish the official calendar late in the year.
| Date | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2027 · Fri | New Year's Day (Confraternização Universal) | Public |
| 8 Feb 2027 · Mon | Carnival (Carnaval) | Public |
| 9 Feb 2027 · Tue | Carnival (Carnaval) | Public |
| 26 Mar 2027 · Fri | Good Friday (Sexta-feira Santa) | Public |
| 28 Mar 2027 · Sun | Easter Sunday (Domingo de Páscoa) | Public |
| 21 Apr 2027 · Wed | Tiradentes Day (Dia de Tiradentes) | Public |
| 1 May 2027 · Sat | Labour Day (Dia do Trabalhador) | Public |
| 27 May 2027 · Thu | Corpus Christi | Public |
| 7 Sep 2027 · Tue | Independence Day (Dia da Independência) | Public |
| 12 Oct 2027 · Tue | Our Lady of Aparecida (Nossa Senhora Aparecida) | Public |
| 2 Nov 2027 · Tue | All Souls' Day (Dia de Finados) | Public |
| 15 Nov 2027 · Mon | Republic Day (Proclamação da República) | Public |
| 20 Nov 2027 · Sat | Black Awareness Day (Dia da Consciência Negra) | Public |
| 25 Dec 2027 · Sat | Christmas Day (Natal) | Public |
ℹ️ Why these dates matter
Brazil runs on long weekends. Several national holidays are fixed dates that drift next to a Monday or a Tuesday, so the country effectively takes three-day breaks from February right through to November. Banks, government offices and most shopping-centre stores close on the dates below; big-city supermarkets usually keep trading and the beach never shuts. Carnival itself is technically an optional holiday rather than a statutory one, yet hotel prices across the coast double months before anything is announced. Use these dates to plan around the crowds, not just the closures.
Festivals Worth Planning a Trip Around
Beyond the stat holidays — the events that define the travel year.
Carnival — 16–17 February 2026 (Mon–Tue); Rio parades Sunday 15 and Monday 16 February
Rio sends its biggest samba schools through the Sambadrome on the Sunday and Monday nights, while Salvador runs sound trucks through the streets for close to a week. Free street blocos take over whole neighbourhoods and are the best-value party of the year: just turn up before ten in the morning. Book beds and flights four to six months ahead, expect prices to double or triple, and carry your phone in a money belt.
New Year's Eve — 31 December 2026 (Thu)
Réveillon on Copacabana is one of the biggest free parties on earth: millions dressed in white, live stages along the sand and fireworks launched from barges offshore. Sleep in Copacabana or Ipanema if you want to walk home, and book by September. Most of the city sleeps in the following morning, so buy water and snacks the day before.
Independence Day — 7 September 2026 (Mon)
The Sete de Setembro parade runs along the Esplanada in Brasília with marching bands, cavalry and military flyovers, and most state capitals stage smaller versions. It is a civic day rather than a tourist one, so expect road closures around the parade route from early morning. Because it falls on a Monday in 2026, that weekend is among the busiest of the year for domestic flights.
Festa Junina — Throughout June 2026, peaking around 24 June (Wed)
June is Festa Junina season: bonfire parties with quadrilha square dancing, corn dishes, straw hats and everyone in checked shirts. The northeast does it biggest, especially Caruaru and Campina Grande, where the party runs nearly every night for a month. It is not a public holiday, so nothing closes, but hotels in those towns sell out for the peak weekends.
💡 Quick Tips
- Banks close on every national holiday and often run reduced hours the day before, so withdraw cash midweek.
- Domestic flights over Carnival, New Year and Sete de Setembro should be booked two to three months ahead.
- Shopping-centre stores and most offices shut on national holidays; supermarkets in big cities usually stay open.
- A holiday falling on a Tuesday or Thursday usually turns into a long weekend, which pushes up hotel and bus prices.
⚡ Pro Tips
- Search flights with a Saturday-to-Wednesday stay around Carnival instead of the Tuesday itself; the extra nights often cost less.
- Pick one bloco neighbourhood per day and arrive before ten in the morning, since the biggest street parties fill up by noon.
- Book interstate buses for Sete de Setembro and Finados the moment tickets are released, and pack snacks for the road closure delays.
📋 Summary
Every Brazilian national holiday for 2026 and 2027, plus the four dates worth building a trip around: Carnival in Rio and Salvador, Réveillon on Copacabana beach, the 7 September parade in Brasília and the June Festa Junina. Includes what closes, what sells out and how far ahead to book.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are shops and banks open on Brazilian public holidays?
Banks and government offices close, and most shopping-centre stores shut too. Supermarkets in large cities usually keep at least reduced hours, while restaurants, bars and beach kiosks trade normally. Always check smaller family-run businesses before you count on them.
When should I book accommodation for Carnival?
For Rio and Salvador, book flights and rooms four to six months ahead; prices climb steeply once December passes. Travellers who only want the free street blocos have more freedom with dates, since those run for two weeks before the official holiday. Book transport first and the hotel second, then you can still change districts.
When is the best time of year to visit Brazil?
May to September suits most of the country outside Amazonas, with dry weather in the Pantanal and pleasant temperatures in Rio. December to March is hot and busy along the coast, which is when beach towns are at their best and their most expensive. Avoid the two weeks around Carnival and the last week of December unless crowds are the point.
