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Popular festival · Recife
The state capital’s street Carnival, to the sound of frevo and maracatu: the Galo da Madrugada in the center on Sábado de Zé Pereira, the official opening at Marco Zero, and poles with stages and processions spread across the neighborhoods.
In the photo: Recife
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Click a photo to enlarge it.
Recife Carnival — Recife
During Carnival week, in February or March, with the official opening at Marco Zero before Sábado de Zé Pereira, when the Galo da Madrugada parades; main programming continues through Tuesday.
February/March
Dates change every year: check this year's date before you travel.
The festival
Recife stages a street Carnival with its own soundtrack. Frevo was born in the city at the end of the 19th century: fast-paced music played by brass orchestras, and a dance, the passo, full of jumps and squats, performed holding a small colorful umbrella. In 2012 UNESCO included frevo, as part of Recife’s Carnival art, on the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Sharing the streets with it are maracatu de baque virado and maracatu rural, caboclinhos, afoxés and neighborhood troças.
On Sábado de Zé Pereira the Galo da Madrugada parades. The bloco gathers early near Forte das Cinco Pontas in the São José neighborhood and travels through the center until night, with a giant rooster mounted on a float and trios with frevo orchestras. The Guinness World Records lists it as the largest Carnival bloco in the world.
Recife Antigo is the heart of the programming. At Marco Zero, the square in front of the port, the official opening takes place, and the main stage is set there along with maracatu processions, orchestras and Pernambuco artists over the days. The city government sets up other poles across neighborhoods, each with its own stage, groups and audience.
On Monday, Recife hosts the Encontro de Bonecos Gigantes, which brings together figures from several municipalities. Many visitors use the city as a base and cross to Olinda, a few kilometers away, to spend part of the days on its hillsides.
The Galo da Madrugada parade on Saturday. The opening at Marco Zero. An evening in Recife Antigo, between the main stage and maracatu processions. The Encontro de Bonecos Gigantes on Monday. A neighborhood pole to see troças and smaller groups.
For the Galo da Madrugada, arrive early in the center and arrange a meeting point with your group: the crowds are huge and cell signal often fails. In Recife Antigo, the main shows take place at night. The city publishes the poles’ schedules before the festival; choose a few per day. Light clothing, sunscreen and water help with the heat in February and March.
Caldinho de feijão and fish caldinho, skewers and tapioca in the streets; to take away, bolo de rolo and bolo Souza Leão, sweets of the Pernambuco tradition.
Hotels in the center, Recife Antigo and Boa Viagem sell out during Carnival. Book several months in advance and confirm the year’s dates before buying tickets.
In the city
February/March
February/MarchFrom Saturday to Carnival Tuesday, beginning with the departure of the Homem da Meia-Noite at midnight between Saturday and Sunday; Carnival falls in February or March, depending on Easter.
The party on the cobbled hills of Olinda’s historic center, a World Heritage site: blocks and troças without a trio elétrico, frevo orchestras on foot and giant puppets, led by the Homem da Meia-Noite.
February/MarchFrom the Thursday before to Ash Wednesday of Carnival week, which falls in February or March according to Easter.
Salvador’s street Carnival, led by trios elétricos and by Afro blocks, across three main circuits: the Barra to Ondina waterfront, the downtown Campo Grande, and the Pelourinho.
February/MarchIn February or March, depending on the Carnival calendar, which changes each year with the date of Easter.
The samba school parades at the Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí and the street blocos spread across the city during Carnival days.
Your questions
On Sábado de Zé Pereira, Carnival Saturday, in the morning. The bloco travels through Recife’s center until night.
In Recife Antigo, with the main stage at Marco Zero. There are also poles spread across several neighborhoods.
Music and dance born in Recife at the end of the 19th century, fast-paced, played by brass orchestras and danced with a small umbrella. UNESCO recognized it as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.
Yes. Olinda is a few kilometers away, and many visitors stay in Recife and get to the hills by taxi, rideshare app or bus.
Festivals and events in Brazil
FebruaryOn February 2, with the House of Iemanjá opening to receive offerings on the eve, February 1.
Tribute by the fishermen of Rio Vermelho, in Salvador, to Iemanjá, orixá of the salt waters: devotees and visitors bring flowers and gifts, which are placed in baskets on boats and taken out to the open sea late in the afternoon.
February/MarchEvery two years, in even-numbered years, between mid-February and early March, during the grape harvest. · Every two years
The grape harvest and Italian immigration festival in Caxias do Sul, in the Serra Gaúcha, featuring a parade of floats in the city center, grapes served in the park, colonial food and Italo-Gaucho culture.
March/AprilFrom Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, in March or April depending on Easter’s date; the sawdust carpets are made in the early hours of Holy Saturday for Sunday.
Holy Week celebrations in Ouro Preto’s baroque churches and steep streets, with nighttime processions and, on Easter Sunday, streets covered by colorful sawdust carpets made by residents and visitors.
JanuaryOn January 20, the day of the city’s patron saint, which is a municipal holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
The patron saint’s day in Rio de Janeiro, with masses and the procession that carries the saint’s image from Tijuca to the Metropolitan Cathedral in the downtown area.
JanuaryOn the Thursday before the second Sunday after Epiphany (January 6), which is the Sunday of the Feast of the Lord of Bonfim; therefore it always takes place in January, usually on the second or third Thursday of the month.
A walking procession of several kilometers from Cidade Baixa to the Sacred Hill in Salvador, where baianas dressed in white wash the steps of the Basilica of the Senhor do Bonfim with scented water.
May/JuneOn the days leading up to Pentecost Sunday, 50 days after Easter; therefore it falls in May or June.
Paraty’s most traditional religious festival, with a novena, processions through the historic center, a solemn Mass and a Sunday Pentecost procession.