Brazil festival calendar beyond Rio Carnival

Brazil’s big festivals run all year, and Rio Carnival is only one week of it. In 2027 the calendar starts with the Lavagem do Bonfim in Salvador on January 14 and moves through Carnival (February 6–10) and the June festivals of the Northeast and Amazon. It closes with the Círio de Nazaré in Belém on October 10. Most of these are religious or community celebrations first and events second.

The 2027 calendar at a glance

Use this table to match a festival to your travel dates. Fixed dates and date rules are listed so you can plan for later years too.

Lavagem do Bonfim, Salvador (January)

The Lavagem is the washing of the steps of the Igreja do Nosso Senhor do Bonfim, part of the January feast of Senhor do Bonfim. Baianas in white carry scented water (água de cheiro). They walk from the Conceição da Praia church in the lower city to the Bonfim church on its hill, about 8 km (5 mi) on foot. The feast joins Catholic devotion and Afro-Brazilian religion, which links Senhor do Bonfim with Oxalá.

Thousands walk behind the baianas, many dressed in white, with music and drinks along the way. Start early to beat the heat, wear a hat and carry water. The baianas and the terreiros that take part are the hosts. Ask before you photograph anyone in ritual dress.

Festa de Iemanjá, Salvador (February 2)

On February 2, people bring flowers, perfume and gifts for Iemanjá, the orixá of the sea, to the Rio Vermelho neighborhood of Salvador. Devotees queue from dawn to leave offerings at the small house of Iemanjá near the beach. Fishermen then take the offerings out to sea in the afternoon, around 4 p.m. in 2026.

The day mixes devotion with a street party that runs into the night. Wear white or blue, arrive early and give the boats and the line of devotees room.

Carnival (February 6–10, 2027)

Carnival Tuesday is February 9, 2027, 47 days before Easter on March 28. Ash Wednesday is February 10. The festival takes over the whole country, and each city does it differently.

Rio. LIESA, the league that runs the Sambódromo parades, lists the 2027 parade nights as Sunday February 7, Monday February 8 and Tuesday February 9, 2027. That is three nights, with four schools each. The Champions parade follows on Saturday, February 13, 2027. Rio also has hundreds of free street blocos across the city.

Recife and Olinda. Frevo, the fast music and dance of Recife’s Carnival, has been on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list since 2012. Its dance step is called the passo. In Olinda, giant puppets (bonecos gigantes) lead the crowds up and down the steep colonial streets. Recife’s Galo da Madrugada parade on Carnival Saturday is one of the largest in the world.

Salvador. Carnival in Salvador moves through the streets behind trucks with sound systems (trios elétricos), with blocos afro such as Ilê Aiyê and Olodum among them. The official Salvador Carnival runs Thursday, February 4 to Tuesday, February 9, 2027, two days ahead of the national span. Pre-Carnival starts on January 29, and the Ash Wednesday Arrastão closes it on February 10.

Check before you go: the circuit order and the bloco lineup in Salvador are published in the weeks before Carnival. Check carnaval.salvador.ba.gov.br, the Prefeitura de Salvador’s Carnival site. For more cities, read Carnival beyond Rio.

Carnival Monday and Tuesday are optional days off at the federal level, and banks close. See Brazil public holidays 2027.

São João (June)

São João, the feast of Saint John on June 24, is the biggest festival of the year in much of the Northeast. Cities such as Caruaru in Pernambuco and Campina Grande in Paraíba run weeks of forró, quadrilha dances, bonfires and food made from corn, such as canjica, pamonha and roasted corn. People dress in country style, with plaid shirts and straw hats.

Under Lei 9.093/1995, cities may declare religious holidays, so June 24 can close offices locally. Campina Grande and Caruaru are among the cities where June 24 is a local holiday. Buses and flights to the Northeast fill up around the peak.

Check before you go: each city publishes its São João program a few months ahead, with stage lineups and dates. Check the Prefeitura of Caruaru or Campina Grande in the spring, and book lodging soon after. See Festa Junina and São João for more.

Bumba meu boi, Maranhão (June)

UNESCO added the Cultural Complex of Bumba-meu-boi from Maranhão to its list in 2019. The cycle reaches its peak at the end of June and can last four to eight months. The phases run from rehearsals and baptisms to public performances (brincadas) and the rituals of the ox’s death.

The story centers on an ox that dies and comes back to life, told through dance, costume and drumming. The groups fall into five main “accents,” or styles, each with its own instruments and rhythm. São Luís is the easiest base, with performances in squares and arraiais across the city through late June. The groups are community associations. Buy food and drinks from their stalls when you watch a brincada.

Festival Folclórico de Parintins (late June)

Parintins sits on an island in the Amazon River, in Amazonas state. IPHAN recognized the Cultural Complex of Boi Bumbá of the Middle Amazon and Parintins as national heritage. The festival happens every year in the last week of June, over three nights in the Bumbódromo.

Two bois compete: Garantido (red) and Caprichoso (blue). Each stages huge floats, dancers and music drawn from Amazonian and Indigenous stories. The town splits in two colors, and locals take the rivalry seriously. In 2027 the last Friday to Sunday of June falls on June 25 to 27.

Access is by boat or plane from Manaus. The flight takes about one hour. The regular boat takes 14 to 18 hours downriver, and the fast boat 6 to 8 hours. Festival week is the most expensive time to fly. Many visitors sleep on the boat or in family homes, since hotel beds are few.

Check before you go: schedules and fares for festival week change each year. Book flights or boat cabins as early as you can, and confirm the nights against the official program.

Círio de Nazaré, Belém (October 10, 2027)

UNESCO inscribed the Círio in 2013. It draws vast numbers of pilgrims from across Brazil. The main procession takes place on the second Sunday of October, which is October 10 in 2027. Celebrations begin in August and continue for about two weeks after the procession.

A wooden image of Our Lady of Nazareth travels from the Sé Cathedral to the Sanctuary Square. Devotees pull a long rope (the corda) alongside the carriage as an act of faith. Families build home altars and share a large lunch of Amazonian dishes, such as pato no tucupi and maniçoba. Belém fills with pilgrims, so book rooms months ahead.

November 20: Zumbi and Black Consciousness Day

Lei 14.759 of December 21, 2023 made November 20 a national holiday. It marks the National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness, after Zumbi dos Palmares, leader of the largest quilombo of the colonial era. In 2027 it falls on a Saturday.

Salvador and Serra da Barriga in Alagoas, the site of Palmares, are the main places to mark it. Expect marches, music and talks. State and city culture offices announce the programs closer to the date.

Planning and costs

Festival weeks are the most expensive times to travel in Brazil. Flights, buses and rooms rise in price and sell out, and some hotels sell only multi-night packages. Book as soon as your dates are firm.

Plan for crowds and heat. Most festivals are outdoors and free to watch, with paid options such as Sambódromo tickets, camarote boxes or bloco shirts. Carry small cash for food and drinks, since card machines can fail in crowds.

How to go as a guest

• Religious days are worship first. At the Lavagem, the Iemanjá offerings and the Círio, keep paths clear and follow the lead of the people taking part.
• Ask before photographing baianas, Candomblé devotees and boi performers. Some will say no.
• Pay the community. Buy from local stalls and group fundraisers, and tip the musicians who play for you.
• Book early. Carnival, Parintins and the Círio fill hotels, flights and boats. Check money in Brazil for cash in small towns.
• Watch your things in crowds. Read is Brazil safe before a big street festival.

For weather around each festival, see the best time to visit Brazil.