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Olinda’s calendar is built around Carnival, the biggest and best-known street party in northeastern Brazil, plus a string of smaller religious and music festivals through the year. Carnival is completely free, with no ticketed stadium, and it fills the ladeiras of the historic center for four days. This guide lists the main events with dates, locations, and what to expect. See our Olinda guide for more. See our Olinda travel tips guide for more.
Events and Festivals in Olinda: Carnival
Carnival 2027 runs from Saturday 6 February to Tuesday 9 February, ending on Ash Wednesday 10 February. The opening moment is the Homem da Meia-Noite, a 3.5-metre giant puppet created in 1931, which leaves its home in Bonsucesso at midnight on the Saturday and leads a crowd of thousands through the streets. The closing event is the Encontro dos Bonecos Gigantes on Tuesday at 10:00, when dozens of giant puppets gather for a free parade. See our Olinda weather by month guide for more.
The historic blocos to follow are Elefante de Olinda, Pitombeira dos Quatro Cantos, Vassourinhas, and Eu Acho é Pouco. They parade on different days and routes, all set to frevo brass orchestras and maracatu drum groups. Expect dense crowds, so leave valuables at your hotel and carry cash in a front pocket. See our best time to visit Olinda guide for more.
Events and Festivals in Olinda: Pre-Carnival Build-Up
The build-up starts in January. The Corrida dos Bonecos Gigantes, a free morning run-and-parade of the giant puppets, takes place at the Mercado da Ribeira in late January, with the 2027 edition set for 30 January at 09:30. The Olinda Beer festival fills the Pernambuco Convention Center around the same time, and weekly ensaios (bloco rehearsals) run through January and early February. See our things to do in Olinda guide for more.
Events and Festivals in Olinda: São João
São João, on 23 and 24 June, is the other big celebration in Pernambuco. The city sets up forró stages, bonfires, and stalls selling corn-based food such as pamonha and canjica. It is a smaller, more local affair than Carnival but runs in several squares of the historic center and lasts most of the week around the 24th. See our Olinda neighborhoods guide for more.
Events and Festivals in Olinda: Religious Calendar
Holy Week, the week before Easter, brings processions through the historic center, with the largest on Good Friday. The Festa de São Benedito in January fills the streets with maracatu groups from across Pernambuco. Neither is ticketed; both are open to anyone who turns up. See our where to stay in Olinda guide for more.
