Sao Paulo school holidays 2026: term dates and calendar

Brazil and Sao Paulo public holidays 2026

Schools in Sao Paulo close on national holidays plus the Sao Paulo state and city holidays. The 2026 dates are:

Carnival is the defining break in the Brazilian calendar. It is not a single national public holiday in the strict sense, but the country effectively stops for it, and every school in Sao Paulo closes for the Monday and Tuesday with a half day on Ash Wednesday.

Sao Paulo state school term dates 2026

Sao Paulo state schools, the Rede Estadual, follow a calendar set by the State Education Secretariat with a legal minimum of 200 school days. The 2026 calendar runs:

The municipal network in the city of Sao Paulo runs a few days wider, starting on 4 February and finishing on 22 December 2026, with its mid-year recess in the first half of July. The long summer holiday at the turn of the year is the Brazilian equivalent of the northern summer break, running roughly eight weeks from mid-December to the start of February.

International school term dates

Sao Paulo's international schools divide on the hemisphere question, and it matters more here than almost anywhere. Graded, the American School of Sao Paulo, and Chapel School follow a northern-hemisphere American calendar that starts in August and finishes in June, with breaks at Thanksgiving and a long summer from June. St Paul's School, the long-established British school, and the Lycee Pasteur follow the southern-hemisphere Brazilian year, starting in late January or February and finishing in early December, which lines them up with the state calendar and Carnival. Bilingual and Brazilian-international schools generally follow the southern year.

The practical consequence is significant for relocating families. A child at Graded will be on summer holiday in July and August and in class through the Brazilian summer, while a child at St Paul's will be on the long holiday from December and in class through July. Families choosing between schools should weigh the calendar against their travel and home-country links as much as the curriculum. Our curriculum guides explain how each programme is structured, and for the national picture see our Brazil schools guide.

Planning the year

Three practical notes for Sao Paulo families. First, fees at international schools are usually billed monthly or by semester, with annual contracts confirmed before the February or August start depending on the calendar; our Sao Paulo international school fees guide gives the ranges. Second, the July mid-year break is the natural window for northern-hemisphere travel and coincides with cooler, drier weather in Sao Paulo, while the December to February summer holiday is when the city empties towards the coast and flights tighten; book December departures by September. Third, Carnival in February is best planned around early because the whole country travels. For neighbourhoods and the school map, our Sao Paulo city guide has the detail.

Common questions

When do schools break up in Sao Paulo? State schools break for the mid-year holiday in early July and close the year on 18 December 2026. International schools on a northern calendar break for summer in June.

How long is the summer holiday in Sao Paulo? The Brazilian summer holiday runs across the southern summer, roughly mid-December to early February. State schools close on 18 December 2026 and return in early February 2027.

When does the 2026 school year start in Sao Paulo? State schools began on 2 February 2026 and the city network on 4 February. Northern-calendar international schools start their 2026-27 year in August 2026.

Does Carnival close schools in Sao Paulo? Yes. Carnival on 16 and 17 February 2026, with a half day on Ash Wednesday 18 February, closes schools city-wide.

Related guides

• Sao Paulo international school fees
• Sao Paulo city guide
• London school holidays 2026