Brazil public holidays 2027 and what closes

Brazil has 10 national holidays in 2027. Seven fall on a weekday, from New Year’s Day on Friday, January 1 to Republic Day on Monday, November 15. Carnival (February 8–9) and Corpus Christi (May 27) are optional days off rather than legal holidays, but banks close on both.

This page lists every date, explains the difference between a holiday and an optional day, and shows what closes. Use it to plan long weekends, bank errands and transport.

The 2027 calendar

Federal law sets nine fixed national holidays. Lei 662 of 1949, as amended in 2002, lists January 1, April 21, May 1, September 7, November 2, November 15 and December 25. Lei 6.802 of 1980 adds October 12, and Lei 14.759 of 2023 adds November 20. The federal government’s yearly list also treats Good Friday as a national holiday, which makes ten.

Add them to your calendar: download the 2027 holidays (.ics) for Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook.

The optional-day hours follow the pattern the federal government used in 2026. The federal government publishes each year’s list of optional days in a portaria, usually at the end of the year before.

Check before you go: look for the 2027 list in the Diário Oficial da União in late December 2026. It confirms the optional days, Ash Wednesday hours and any extra bridge days.

How the movable dates fall in 2027

Easter Sunday is March 28, 2027, and the other movable dates follow from it. Carnival Tuesday falls 47 days before Easter, on February 9, and Good Friday two days before, on March 26. Corpus Christi is the Thursday 60 days after Easter, May 27.

In Rio de Janeiro, the samba school parades at the Sambódromo run on Sunday February 7, Monday February 8 and Tuesday February 9, 2027. Ash Wednesday, February 10, marks the official end of Carnival.

Feriado or ponto facultativo

A feriado is a holiday set by law. A ponto facultativo is an optional day off that a government declares for its own offices. Private employers decide for themselves on optional days.

Carnival is the best-known example. No federal law makes it a holiday. The federal list calls Carnival Monday and Tuesday optional days, and Ash Wednesday optional until 2 p.m. Some states and cities declare Carnival a local holiday by their own law.

In practice, Carnival week runs from Saturday, February 6 to Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027. In cities with big Carnivals, such as Rio, Salvador, Recife and Olinda, most offices and many shops close or open short hours. Plan for slower services in those five days anywhere in Brazil.

State and city holidays

Each state and city can add holidays of its own. Lei 9.093 of 1995 lets each state add one holiday, its “data magna,” by state law. Cities may add the founding-centenary days and up to four religious holidays, Good Friday included.

That is why Corpus Christi is a full holiday in many cities and a normal day in others. It also explains city patron-saint days, such as June 24 (São João) in parts of the Northeast.

Some state holidays you may meet:

In Salvador, July 2 brings a large civic parade through the old city. In Rio, São Jorge’s day draws crowds to churches and street celebrations, especially in the North Zone.

Check before you go: ask your hotel or check the city hall website for local holidays during your stay. A city holiday can close museums and offices that the national list does not.

What closes

Banks. Branches do not open on national holidays. In 2026, Brazil had 13 bank holidays, including Carnival Monday and Tuesday and Corpus Christi. On Ash Wednesday 2026, branches opened at 12:00 noon, and they do not serve the public on December 31. Pix, the instant payment system, keeps working on bank holidays, and ATMs stay on. See money in Brazil for Pix and cash.

Federal offices. Polícia Federal immigration desks and other federal services follow the federal list. If you need a migration appointment, avoid the days in the table.

Shops and restaurants. Shops may open on holidays when a collective labor agreement authorizes it and city law allows it. Opening hours on a holiday are therefore local. Shopping malls in big cities usually open with reduced hours. Restaurants in tourist areas often stay open, while many in business districts close. In small towns, expect more closed doors than in a capital.

Museums and attractions. Many museums close on Mondays and some holidays, while beaches, parks and viewpoints stay open. Check the attraction’s own site for holiday hours.

Transport. Holidays move people. Long weekends fill buses and flights out of big cities, and road traffic out of São Paulo and Rio can be very slow on the first and last day. Book Carnival, Easter and the November long weekend early. City metros and buses usually run a Sunday timetable on holidays.

Long weekends in 2027

Brazilians call a long weekend a feriadão. These dates create long breaks in 2027:

1. Carnival: Saturday February 6 to Wednesday February 10.
2. Easter: Friday March 26 to Sunday March 28.
3. Tiradentes: Wednesday April 21, mid-week.
4. Corpus Christi: Thursday May 27. Many people also take the Friday off; in 2026 the federal list made the Friday after Corpus Christi optional.
5. Independence, Aparecida, Finados: Tuesdays September 7, October 12 and November 2. When a holiday falls on a Tuesday, many people take the Monday off too, and the federal government sometimes makes that Monday optional.
6. Republic Day: Saturday November 13 to Monday November 15.

Three holidays fall on a Saturday in 2027: May 1, November 20 and December 25. Brazilian law does not move a holiday to a weekday, so there is no extra day off for those.

Planning around holidays

• Expect higher prices and full buses around Carnival and the New Year. See the Brazil festival calendar for event dates.
• Do bank errands before a holiday. On a long weekend, branches can stay closed for three or four days.
• Book beach lodging early for long weekends near São Paulo and Rio, where city residents head to the coast.
• Ask your hotel which local holidays apply.
• For weather by month, read the best time to visit Brazil. If you cross regions, check Brazil time zones.

Who should avoid holiday weeks

Skip Carnival week if you want quiet beaches, cheap rooms or flexible bookings, since many places sell only multi-night packages. Avoid long weekends if you need government offices or bank branches. Travel mid-week in the shoulder months if you want lower prices and fewer crowds.