A public holiday in Rio can be good news (crowded beaches, events, a festive mood) or a problem if that was the day you planned to run an errand or visit a museum that closes. Besides the national calendar, the city and the state have their own holidays, and Carnival isn't what many people think. This guide gathers the dates for the coming months and explains how to plan around them.
At a glance
- Three levels: Rio observes national holidays, Rio de Janeiro state holidays (such as São Jorge, April 23) and city holidays (São Sebastião, January 20).
- What's left of 2026: November 2 (Monday), November 15 (Sunday), November 20 (Friday) and December 25 (Friday).
- Carnival: at the federal level it isn't a holiday but a ponto facultativo. In 2027, Carnival Tuesday is February 9.
- Official 2027 calendar: the federal government usually publishes it at the end of the year; as of October 27, 2026, we had not found the 2027 portaria.
- What opens: it depends on each place. Museums, attractions and transportation publish their holiday hours; check the day before.
Holiday, ponto facultativo and local holiday
Three different situations coexist in Brazil:
- National holiday: set by federal law and valid nationwide. Law 662/1949 ↗ lists the civic ones; other laws added October 12 and, since Law 14.759/2023 ↗, November 20.
- State and municipal holiday: Law 9.093/1995 ↗ lets each state set its main civic date and each municipality declare up to four religious holidays, including Good Friday.
- Ponto facultativo: a day when the government gives its employees the day off, without obliging shops or companies to close. Each year, the Ministry of Management (MGI) publishes a portaria with the national holidays and the federal administration's pontos facultativos. For 2026 it was Portaria MGI 11.460/2025 ↗ (copy published by the Federal University of Goiás).
That's why the same day can be a holiday in Rio and a working day in São Paulo, or a ponto facultativo in government offices while shops open as usual.
The rest of 2026
| Date | Occasion | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, November 2 | Finados (All Souls' Day) | National holiday |
| Sunday, November 15 | Proclamation of the Republic | National holiday |
| Friday, November 20 | National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness | National holiday |
| Thursday, December 24 | Christmas Eve, from 1 p.m. | Federal ponto facultativo |
| Friday, December 25 | Christmas | National holiday |
| Thursday, December 31 | New Year's Eve, from 1 p.m. | Federal ponto facultativo |
November 20 falls on a Friday and makes a long weekend: expect more traffic on the roads and on nearby day trips. If you're traveling then, also see Rio in November.
2027 dates
Fixed dates come from the law; movable ones from the Easter calendar (Easter Sunday 2027 is March 28). When the MGI publishes the 2027 portaria, confirm the pontos facultativos there.
| Date | Occasion | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, January 1 | New Year's Day | National holiday |
| Wednesday, January 20 | São Sebastião, the city's patron saint | Rio city holiday |
| Monday, February 8, and Tuesday, February 9 | Carnival | Federal ponto facultativo (see below) |
| Wednesday, February 10 | Ash Wednesday | In 2026 it was a ponto facultativo until 2 p.m. |
| Friday, March 26 | Good Friday (Paixão de Cristo) | Holiday (listed as national in the 2026 portaria) |
| Wednesday, April 21 | Tiradentes | National holiday |
| Friday, April 23 | São Jorge | Rio de Janeiro state holiday |
| Saturday, May 1 | Labor Day | National holiday |
| Thursday, May 27 | Corpus Christi | In 2026 it was a federal ponto facultativo |
| Tuesday, September 7 | Independence Day | National holiday |
| Tuesday, October 12 | Nossa Senhora Aparecida | National holiday |
| Tuesday, November 2 | Finados | National holiday |
| Monday, November 15 | Proclamation of the Republic | National holiday |
| Saturday, November 20 | Zumbi and Black Consciousness | National holiday |
| Saturday, December 25 | Christmas | National holiday |
January 20 and April 23 appear as holidays in Rio in the 2026 calendar of the state Court of Justice ↗, which cites the city's Lei Orgânica and state law 5.198/2008.
Carnival: is it a holiday?
At the federal level, no: the MGI portaria declares it a ponto facultativo (in 2026, Carnival Monday and Tuesday, and Ash Wednesday until 2 p.m.). Each state and city publishes its own decree, and many companies give the day off. In practice, Carnival week in Rio runs like a long holiday: streets closed for the blocos, transportation on special schedules and offices with reduced hours.
If you're going for the parades, plan your dates with Carnival 2027 and Rio in January or February 2027.
What opens on a holiday
There's no single rule. Some guidelines to plan ahead:
- Museums and attractions: each one publishes its hours. Some open on holidays and close another day of the week; others close on specific dates such as Christmas or New Year's Day. Check the official website before you go.
- Transportation: several lines run special schedules. For example, Barcas Rio publishes separate departures for "weekends and holidays" on its lines.
- Shops: neighborhood stores tend to close or open for fewer hours; malls and large supermarkets often open, but on their own schedule. Check each one's website.
- Errands and banks: don't count on getting them done that day.
- Beaches and parks: they fill up, especially in summer. Go early and plan your way back ahead of time.
Year-end and Réveillon
December 31 isn't a national holiday, but from the afternoon on the city revolves around Réveillon. January 1 is a holiday, and many services run reduced hours. To plan that night, see Réveillon 2027.
Frequently asked questions
Are holidays moved to Monday?
Not as a general rule: most are observed on the day they fall. That's why it's worth checking the weekday of each date, as in the tables above.
Was November 20 a holiday before 2023?
In the state of Rio de Janeiro it already was, under state law. Since Law 14.759/2023 it's a national holiday.
Where can I confirm the 2027 pontos facultativos?
In the Ministry of Management portaria published in the Diário Oficial da União, usually at the end of the previous year. The 2026 one was published on December 30, 2025.
Sources: Law 662/1949 ↗, Law 9.093/1995 ↗, Law 14.759/2023 ↗, Portaria MGI 11.460/2025 ↗ and TJRJ: 2026 holiday calendar ↗, accessed October 27, 2026.