by Brian Major
Last updated: 5:25 PM ET, Tue February 17, 2026
Brazil’s Carnival celebration is shaping up to be a historic
milestone for the country’s tourism sector. An expected crowd of 65 million
revelers will fill the streets, according to estimates from the Ministry of
Tourism and Embratur, Brazil’s international tourism promotion agency, a 22 percent
increase compared with 2025.
More than 40 million people are expected to attend this week’s
Carnival events in the country’s four main states — Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo,
Salvador, and Belo Horizonte.
In Rio de Janeiro, home to the most iconic Carnival
celebration, the traditional parades at the Sambadrome combined with the
activities of 462 street blocos (organized street gatherings in specific neighborhoods
where participants dress in costumes and sing and dance to Carnival music) are
expected to attract 8 mililion participants, injecting $1 billion into the
local economy. The strong momentum is evident in Rio’s hotel sector. which is
operating at 98 percent of capacity.
Airline travel to Rio de Janeiro is also trending upward. The
purchase of international airline tickets to Rio de Janeiro increased by nine
percentduring February 13–18. The top source markets are Chile, with a
41 percent increase in demand, followed by the United States (+11 percent) and Argentina
(+8 percent). Nationwide, searches for international flights to Brazil
rose 21 percent compared to the previous year.
Beyond Rio, other highly attended and celebrated Carnivals
include:
- Bahia:International flight bookings and ticket sales to the state—home to
one of the country’s most popular Carnivals—increased 43 percent.
- São
Paulo:More than 16 million people are expected, along with the
parade of 600 blocos.
- Belo
Horizonte: Projects 6.2 million attendees and an economic impact of $190
million.
- Recife
and Olinda:These cities in the northeastern state of Pernambuco
are estimated to attract 3.6 million and 4 million people, respectively.
Their Carnival features different musical rhythms—frevo and maracatu
instead of samba—yet similarly draws millions to its street parades and
open-air performances.
Embratur has established a
strategic partnership with the global platform Beautiful Destinations to
promote Brazil’s Carnival internationally, highlighting it as a showcase of
cultural, gastronomic, and luxury experiences.
“We want to show that, beyond
being a grand and technologically impressive celebration, Brazilian Carnival
offers diverse experiences that include luxury, gastronomy, and deep cultural
immersion,” said Marcelo Freixo, Embratur’s president. “It is a powerful tool
to influence international travelers’ purchasing decisions for 2027.”
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