By Brazil Stock Guide – B3, the Brazil Stock Exchange, released its 2026 market holiday calendar, detailing when trading and post-trade activities will be suspended across equities, fixed income, derivatives, foreign exchange, securities lending and the Tesouro Direto (Treasuries) retail bond platform. The update is designed to help international investors navigate Brazil’s local holidays, many of which carry cultural, religious or historical meanings that are not immediately intuitive outside the country.
The exchange said some dates involve special or shortened trading hours, affecting clearing, settlement, collateral movements and depository services rather than full-day market closures.
2026 market holidays and special dates
- January 1 – New Year’s Day (Confraternização Universal): Global New Year holiday marking the start of the calendar year.
- February 16–17 – Carnival: Brazil’s main festival; while not a formal federal holiday, financial markets are fully closed.
- February 18 – Ash Wednesday: First day of Lent in the Christian calendar; markets reopen on a late schedule, with trading starting in the early afternoon.
- April 3 – Good Friday: Christian observance marking the crucifixion of Jesus Christ; full market closure.
- April 21 – Tiradentes Day: National holiday honoring a leading figure in Brazil’s 18th-century independence movement.
- May 1 – Labor Day: International workers’ holiday; full market closure.
- June 4 – Corpus Christi: Catholic feast widely observed in Brazil; markets closed.
- July 9 – Constitutionalist Revolution Day (São Paulo only): Commemorates the 1932 uprising in São Paulo; markets operate normally nationwide.
- September 7 – Brazil Independence Day: Marks Brazil’s independence from Portugal in 1822; full market closure.
- October 12 – Our Lady of Aparecida Day: Celebrates the patron saint of Brazil; national holiday.
- November 2 – All Souls’ Day: Traditional day of remembrance for the dead.
- November 20 – National Zumbi and Black Consciousness Day: Honors Zumbi dos Palmares and Brazil’s Afro-Brazilian heritage; increasingly relevant for corporate calendars.
- December 24 – Christmas Eve: No trading session; limited post-trade processing for certain over-the-counter registrations without a central counterparty.
- December 25 – Christmas Day: Full market holiday.
- December 31 – New Year’s Eve: No trading session; internal operations only at financial institutions.
The Brazil Stock Exchange said the calendar aims to improve predictability and operational clarity for global investors, clearly separating full market holidays, special trading days and local observances that do not affect nationwide trading.
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