Carnaval
Carnival
Tuesday, 17 Feb 2026 · Brazil · Nationwide · Bank holiday
Bridge day check
Falls on a Tuesday. Book the Monday off and you get a four-day weekend — expect a lot of colleagues to do exactly that.
Book off 16 Feb 2026 for 4 days off.
What the day is for
Not a statutory national holiday, yet the country stops for it. Samba school parades in the Rio Sambadrome and Salvador's trio elétrico blocos define the week; Ash Wednesday works as a half day by custom.
Do shops and banks close?
Banks close Monday and Tuesday and open only from 2pm on Ash Wednesday. Offices largely shut; bars and hotels boom.
Getting around
Major street closures in every city, extended metro hours in Rio and São Paulo, and flights priced at a premium.
When it falls each year
Floating holidays shift; fixed ones move only in which weekday they land on.
See the full Brazil holiday calendar or count the working days.