Dia de Sao Sebastiao
Date: January 20th This festival commemorates the patron saint of the city. A procession carries his image from the Igreja de Sao Sebastiao dos Capuchinos in Tijuca to the Catedral Metropolitana.
Rio de Janeiro
Festivals and Annual Events
Date: January 20th This festival commemorates the patron saint of the city. A procession carries his image from the Igreja de Sao Sebastiao dos Capuchinos in Tijuca to the Catedral Metropolitana. When it arrives at the Catedral it is blessed in a Mass celebrated by the archbishop of Rio de Janeiro.
Showing 1–13 of 13 festivals
City guide section
Festivals and events in Rio de Janeiro
Showing 1–13 of 13 festivals
Plan around 13 festival seasons, public events, Ramadan/Eid periods, book fairs, art cycles, and winter food activity.
Dia da Fundacao da Cidade
Date: March 1st This festival celebrates the founding of the city by Estacio de Sa in 1565, with a Mass in the church of its patron saint Sao Sebastiao.
Sexta-Feira da Paixao
Date: March or April Celebrated throughout the city, this festival is all about Good Friday. A re-enactment of the Stations of the Cross under the Arcos do Lapa is carried out by more than 100 actors.
Carnaval
Date: officially from the Friday to the Tuesday preceding Lent (Ash Wednesday is the close of the festival) This festival is what you come to Rio for!
Portas Abertas
Date: one weekend in March and November Portas Albertas is a semi-annual festival where the artists of Saint Teresa open their studios to the public and neighbourhoods become living art installations.
Festas Juninas
In Rio it is celebrated in many public squares, primarily on June 13th at the Dia de Santo Antonio, June 24th at Dio de Sao Joao and June 29th Dia de Sao Pedro.
Festa da Sao Pedro do Mar
A marine procession starts at the fishing district of Caju and decorated boats proceed to the statue of Sao Pedro in Urca.
Festa de NS da Gloria do Outeiro
Date: August 15th The festivities for this event start at 8am and continue all day as people gather at the Igreja de NS da Gloria do Outeiro to attend mass marking the Feast of Assumption.
Dia de Independencia do Brasil
Date: September 7th Brazil’s Independence Day is celebrated in Rio with a big military procession down Av Presidente Vargas. Beginning at 8am at Candelaria, it goes past Praca Onze, north of the Sambodroma.
Rio International Film Festival
Date: September and October Over 200 international films from over 35 countries are shown at this film festival which is the biggest in Latin America.
Rio Jazz Festival
Dates vary annually for this event which features 3 night of international and national musicians playing a wide variety of music, not just jazz.
Festa da Penha
Date: October and November Taking place every Sunday in October and the first Sunday in November, this is one of the most popular religious festivals in the city.
Reveillon & Festa de Iemanja
Date: December 31st New Year’s Eve (Reveillon) in Rio is second only to Carnaval in terms of revelry and the millions of people who attend and participate.
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