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Gramado’s calendar is anchored by two major events, the winter Natal Luz Christmas festival and the August film festival, plus a handful of smaller seasonal festivals. Most events concentrate in the winter and spring months, which is also when hotel rates peak, so book rooms early if you plan a trip around any of the dates below. Cross-reference the best time to visit Gramado guide to match an event with lower prices or better weather. See also our Gramado travel guide guide.
Events and Festivals in Gramado: Natal Luz (Christmas of Lights)
Natal Luz is Gramado’s flagship event and the reason the town calls itself Brazil’s Christmas capital. The 2025-2026 edition runs from 23 October 2025 to 18 January 2026, with a nightly programme of light displays, the Grand Parade down Avenida Borges de Medeiros, and ticketed shows including Nativitaten, a nativity performance at Lago Joaquina Rita Bier, and the Illusion Show at the Palacio dos Festivais. The light decorations across the town are free to view; the ticketed shows cost roughly R$50 to R$180 depending on seat and date. Weekends in December are the busiest, so buy show tickets online at natalluzdegramado.com.br and arrive early for parade viewing spots. See also our Gramado weather by month guide. See also our best neighborhoods in Gramado guide.
Events and Festivals in Gramado: Festival de Cinema
The Festival de Cinema de Gramado is Brazil’s longest-running film festival, held every August at the Palacio dos Festivais. The 2025 edition ran 13 to 23 August and awarded the Kikito statuette to the best Brazilian and Latin American films; the 2026 edition is scheduled for 12 to 22 August. Screenings are open to the public with individual tickets around R$20 to R$30, and the opening and closing red-carpet ceremonies draw large crowds to the square outside. August is winter in Gramado, with lows around 8C (46F), so dress warmly for the outdoor queue.
Events and Festivals in Gramado: Festuris and Chocofest
Festuris Gramado is Latin America’s largest tourism trade fair, held each November at the Serra Park convention centre; it is aimed at travel professionals rather than holidaymakers, but it fills hotels in the second week of November, so book around it. Chocofest runs over the Easter long weekend and celebrates the town’s chocolate industry with tastings, workshops, and a chocolate village near Lago Negro; most tasting activities are free once you buy a festival passport for around R$30. A Festival de Gastronomia and a winter Festival da Colonia (colonial culture fair) round out the calendar, with dates shifting slightly each year, so check the official Gramado tourism site for the current year.
Events and Festivals in Gramado: Winter Festivals and Holiday Dates
The July school-winter break (typically the second half of July) brings Gramado’s biggest winter crowds, with seasonal Christmas-in-July decorations and extended opening hours at Snowland and the theme parks. New Year’s Eve is marked with fireworks over Lago Negro and a party on Rua Coberta, and it is the single most expensive night of the year to book a hotel. If you want the Natal Luz atmosphere without peak prices, target the first two weeks of November or the second week of January, after the New Year rush has left. Pair this with the things to do in Gramado guide to plan your daytime schedule around the events.
For the practical details of reaching each venue and where to stay nearby, see the Gramado travel tips and where to stay in Gramado guides.
