Welcome to your Rio de Janeiro daily brief for Monday, February 23, 2026. The city returns to full routine after Carnaval — B3 reopens for trading at 10h, schools resume, and government offices are fully operational. The weekend closed the season in style: the Desfile das Campeãs packed the Sapucaí on Saturday night, with champion Viradouro closing the parade around 4h40 Sunday morning. On the pitch, the Cariocão semifinals delivered clear results — Flamengo dismantled Madureira 3-0 at the Maracanã (De La Cruz, Arrascaeta’s 100th Fla goal, Luiz Araújo), while Fluminense edged Vasco 1-0 at the Nilton Santos (Kevin Serna 31′, Bernal red 18’/2T). At the Jockey Club, Etcheverry won the Rio Open singles and Fonseca/Melo took the doubles for Brazil. Markets resume after a record-breaking Friday: the Ibovespa smashed through 190,000 for the first time (190,534, +1.06%) after the US Supreme Court struck down Trump’s tariffs. The dollar fell to R$5.176, its lowest since May 2024. This Rio de Janeiro daily brief covers weather, events, transport, food, and practical tips for your day.
01
Weather & Air Quality
What to wear
Temperature
24°–28°C
Cloudy, warm
Rain Chance
60%
Afternoon showers
UV Index
High
SPF 30+ recommended
Mon 23
28°C
60% rain — Showers PM
Tue 24
28°C
80% rain — Heavy
Wed 25
29°C
20% rain — Clearing
Thu 26
27°C
55% rain — Unsettled
Weather tip: A warm but cloudy Monday at 28°C with a 60% chance of afternoon showers. February’s wet season continues — tomorrow brings the heaviest rain of the week at 80%, before a brief reprieve on Wednesday (only 20%). The pattern turns unsettled again Thursday and Friday. Light clothing, an umbrella in the bag, and sunscreen for any beach time. The city returns to full routine today, so expect the standard commute congestion compounded by post-Carnaval readjustment.
02
Day at a Glance
Quick scan
—FLAMENGO 3-0 MADUREIRA (SUN) — De La Cruz 8’/2T, Arrascaeta 17’/2T pen (100th Fla goal), Luiz Araújo 40’/2T. Maracanã
—FLUMINENSE 1-0 VASCO (SUN) — Kevin Serna 31′. Bernal red 18’/2T. Zubeldía expelled. Nilton Santos
—DESFILE DAS CAMPEAS (SAT NIGHT) — Viradouro closed Sapucaí around 4h40. Six schools. Carnaval season over
—RIO OPEN — Etcheverry (ARG) wins singles, beat Tabilo 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4. Fonseca/Melo win doubles for Brazil
—IBOVESPA RECORD — Closed 190,534 on Friday 20th (+1.06%). First close above 190K. USD/BRL R$5.176
—RECOPA VOLTA THU — Flamengo v Lanús at Maracanã 21h30 (Thu 26). Fla lost ida 0-1 in Buenos Aires
—CITY RETURNS TO NORMAL — Full operations. MetrôRio regular hours. B3 reopens. Schools resume
—28°C, 60% rain — Showers PM. Heavy rain Tuesday (80%). Beach-friendly Wednesday (20%)
The weekend closed multiple chapters at once. Carnaval 2026 ended definitively with the Desfile das Campeãs at the Sapucaí on Saturday night, Viradouro closing the season as tetracampeã. On Sunday, the Cariocão semifinals delivered contrasting dramas: Flamengo were poor in the first half against Madureira but transformed after the break, scoring three in the second period through their Uruguayan pair and Luiz Araújo. In the Nilton Santos, Fluminense’s Kevin Serna scored the only goal against Vasco before Bernal’s red card forced the Tricolor to hold on with ten men for over 30 minutes. At the Jockey Club, the Rio Open crowned Etcheverry after a nearly seven-hour marathon day. Markets resume today after a record-breaking Friday driven by the US Supreme Court tariff ruling. The real year begins now.
03
Culture & Events
What to see & do
Weekend Recap — Carnaval Closes
The Desfile das Campeãs brought the curtain down on Carnaval 2026 at the Sapucaí on Saturday night. The six best Grupo Especial schools returned in inverse order of classification: Mangueira opened from 22h, followed by Imperatriz Leopoldinense, Salgueiro, Vila Isabel, and Beija-Flor, with champion Viradouro closing the parade around 4h40 Sunday morning. The tetracampeã reprised Pra cima, Ciça!, the enredo that earned 270 maximum points and honoured Mestre Ciça, the oldest active mestre de bateria in Carnaval history. On Sunday, the last official Carnaval street events — including Bloco da Anitta and Monobloco — ran through Centro and Zona Sul, marking the definitive end of the 2026 season.
Rio Open 2026 — Final Results
Singles Final — Etcheverry wins
Jockey Club Brasileiro, Gávea — Sun 22 Feb — ATP 500
Tomás Etcheverry (ARG) defeated Alejandro Tabilo (CHI) 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 in a marathon final after playing nearly seven hours across semi and final on the same day — both delayed from Saturday’s washout. First ATP title for Etcheverry. He earlier beat Kopriva 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4) in the semifinal.
Etcheverry: semi and final on the same Sunday. Nearly seven hours on court.
Doubles Final — Fonseca/Melo for Brazil
Jockey Club Brasileiro — Sun 22 Feb — ATP 500
João Fonseca and Marcelo Melo came from a set down to beat Frantzen/Haase 4-6, 6-3, 10-8. Fonseca’s first ATP doubles title at 19. Melo’s second consecutive Rio Open doubles crown. Also notable: Luisa Stefani won the WTA 1000 Dubai doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski on Saturday, returning to the WTA top 10.
Fonseca promised the crowd: “I’ll win the Rio Open singles one day.”
Museums & Exhibitions
CCBB Rio
Rua Primeiro de Março, 66, Centro — Wed–Mon 9h–21h — Free
Vetores-Vertentes — contemporary Brazilian art (through Apr 20). Viva Maurício de Sousa — immersive Turma da Mônica experience. Maldoror cinema programme. CCBB Lab Maker workshops continue with a quadrinhos (comics) theme.
MAM Rio & Museu do Amanhã
Parque do Flamengo / Praça Mauá — Regular Monday hours
MAM: Daniel Buren installation and Carmen Portinho retrospective. Open Mon 12h–18h. Museu do Amanhã: Permanent and temporary exhibitions. Open Tue–Sun (closed Mondays). Check individual venues as some resume post-Carnaval schedules today.
04
Getting Around
How to move
MetrôRio — Regular Hours
→ Regular service resumes. The 24h Carnaval operation ended at 23h Sunday. Linha 2: Pavuna–General Osório. Linhas 1/4: Uruguai–Jardim Oceânico/Barra
→ All stations open including Saara/Presidente Vargas (closed during Carnaval weekend). Cinelândia and Catete back to normal access
→ Standard weekday hours: 5h–midnight. MetrôRio app for live updates
Roads & Traffic
→ Sapucaí closures lifted. Av. Presidente Vargas fully reopened. CET-Rio Carnaval operation concluded
→ Expect heavier-than-usual Monday traffic as the city returns from nearly two weeks of disrupted schedules
→ Bus lines return to full weekday frequency across all zones. BRT and VLT on standard timetable
05
Food & Drink
Where to eat
Monday Comfort
→ Post-Carnaval Monday calls for recovery food. Talho Capixaba (Leblon) is open from 7h — solid brunch and fresh bread. CT Boucherie (Humaitá) for something more substantial
→ Bakers (Botafogo) for brunch. Zona Sul and Barra bakeries operating full weekday hours
Back to Routine
→ The city’s restaurants return to full weekday service today. Most fine-dining spots will have taken the weekend off and reopen today or tomorrow; call ahead before trekking to any destination restaurant
→ Supermarkets and bakeries operating full weekday hours across Zona Sul and Barra
06
Practical Info
Need to know
Monday Operations
→ Government offices at full capacity. All municipal and state services resume standard hours
→ Banks open at regular hours (10h–16h).
B3 resumes full trading at 10h
→ Cartórios, Detran, and RioCard offices open today. Full operations resume
Expat Essentials
→ Schools reopen today. Private offices already back since Thursday/Friday last week
→ Exchange tip: USD/BRL closed Friday at R$5.176 — lowest since May 2024. Casas de câmbio in Copacabana and Ipanema open normal hours
→ Dengue season reminder: eliminate standing water, use repellent especially at dusk. UPAs and hospitals operating normally
07
Community & Lifestyle
Local life
Post-Carnaval Monday
→ The distinct Monday-after-Carnaval energy settles over the city. Sapucaí dismantling crews are clearing infrastructure. Copacabana and Centro streets being cleaned after the final blocos
→ Beach conditions: lifeguards on duty. UV high but manageable under cloud cover. Seas moderate
→ For expats, this is the week Rio truly starts 2026 — the annual tradition of the “year only starting after Carnaval” reaches its literal fulfilment
Health & Safety
→ UPAs and hospitals operating normally. Dengue season: eliminate standing water, use repellent especially at dusk
→ Pharmacies: all major chains (Drogaria Pacheco, Raia, Drogasil) open normal Monday hours
→ Vasco fans protested Fernando Diniz during the Fluminense match. Tensions may spill over into the week — be aware around São Januário
08
Sports
Game day
Cariocão Semifinals — Sunday Results
| Match |
Score |
Key detail |
| Vasco v Fluminense (Sun 18h) |
0–1 |
Kevin Serna 31′. Bernal red 18’/2T. Zubeldía expelled. 10,818 present |
| Flamengo v Madureira (Sun 20h30) |
3–0 |
De La Cruz 8’/2T, Arrascaeta 17’/2T pen (100th goal), Luiz Araújo 40’/2T. 22,730 present |
Semifinals — volta schedule: Fluminense v Vasco on Sun 1 Mar, 18h at Maracanã (Flu mando — needs only a draw). Madureira v Flamengo on Mon 2 Mar, 21h at Maracanã (Madureira mando — needs to win by 4+ goals). The final is a single match at a date and venue to be confirmed by FERJ. Before the volta, Flamengo faces Lanús at the Maracanã on Thu 26 Feb at 21h30 for the Recopa Sul-Americana final (lost ida 0-1 in Buenos Aires — needs to win by 2+ goals in normal time to lift the trophy outright).
Brasileirão & Other
Brasileirão Série A Round 4 midweek fixtures begin this week. Key Rio dates: Fluminense at Palmeiras (Allianz Parque, Wed 25, 21h30). Vasco at Santos (Vila Belmiro, Thu 26, 19h). No home Brasileirão matches for Rio clubs this week. Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics ongoing — Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (giant slalom gold for Brazil) remains the country’s top story from the Games.
09
Business & Markets
Market watch
→ Ibovespa: closed Friday 20th at 190,534.42 (+1.06%) — first-ever close above 190k, 12th record of 2026. Weekly gain: +2.18% (seventh consecutive positive week)
→ USD/BRL: R$5.1759 (-0.98%) — lowest since 28 May 2024. Dollar weakened globally after US Supreme Court struck down Trump’s tariffs (6-3 ruling)
→ Trump responded with 10% global tariff via executive order under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, then raised it to 15% on Saturday — the maximum allowed under that statute, with a 150-day limit unless Congress extends it
→ Key movers: Financials led — Santander +3.12%, Bradesco +2.02%, BB +2.00%. Vale +3.23% (iron ore strong). Volume: R$36.2 billion (options expiry day)
→ Selic: 13.25%. Copom next meets March 18–19. Broadcast Bolsa Thermometer: 50% expect pullback this week vs 25% for gains. Brazil and India signed a trade-deepening agreement on Saturday
Market context: The Ibovespa’s breakthrough above 190,000 was triggered by the US Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling that struck down Trump’s tariffs as an overreach of executive authority. Brazil, alongside China and Canada, is among the biggest beneficiaries, as tariffs on Brazilian exports to the US were effectively cancelled. The dollar plunged globally, and foreign inflows into Brazilian equities — already at R$33+ billion YTD — accelerated. B3 reopens Monday.
10
Plan Ahead
Plan ahead
The Week Ahead
→ Tue Feb 24 — Série Prata apuração. Heavy rain expected (80%). Normal post-Carnaval calendar fully in effect
→ Wed Feb 25 — Madureira v ABC (Copa do Brasil, 18h, venue TBC). Fluminense at Palmeiras (Brasileirão R4, Allianz Parque, 21h30)
→ Thu Feb 26 — Flamengo v Lanús (Recopa Sul-Americana volta, Maracanã, 21h30). Fla lost ida 0-1, needs 2+ goal win. Vasco at Santos (Brasileirão R4, Vila Belmiro, 19h)
→ Sun Mar 1 — Cariocão semifinal volta: Fluminense v Vasco (Maracanã, 18h, Flu mando)
→ Mon Mar 2 — Cariocão semifinal volta: Madureira v Flamengo (Maracanã, 21h, Madureira mando)
→ Looking further — Cariocão final in single match (date/venue TBC by FERJ). Copom Mar 18–19 (potential Selic cut after tariff ruling reshapes expectations)
Looking ahead: Carnaval 2026 is officially over. The Desfile das Campeãs closed the Sapucaí, the blocos have packed up, and the city pivots to a dense week of Brasileirão, Copa do Brasil, and the Recopa Sul-Americana final on Thursday — Flamengo’s most important match of the season so far. The Ibovespa enters Monday at all-time highs, with the US tariff saga adding both opportunity and uncertainty for Brazilian markets. Tuesday brings the heaviest rain of the week. The Cariocão semifinal volta matches are set for the first weekend of March, with Flamengo’s 3-0 cushion all but securing their place in the final, while the Fluminense-Vasco return leg promises to be far more combustible. The real year begins now.
Rio de Janeiro Daily Brief — Monday, February 23, 2026
A culture-first daily guide for locals and expats in the Cidade Maravilhosa.
