Welcome to your São Paulo daily brief for Monday, February 23, 2026. The city returns to full routine after Carnaval — rodízio resumes (plates 1 and 2 today), the Metrô is back on regular hours, and B3 reopens for trading at 10h. The weekend closed two seasons at once: the Desfile das Campeãs packed the Anhembi on Saturday night, the final pós-Carnaval blocos rolled through Ibirapuera on Sunday, and the Paulistão quarterfinals delivered four dramatic matches that produced the semifinals — Palmeiras v São Paulo and Novorizontino v Corinthians (single-leg, Feb 28/Mar 1). At the Rio Open, Etcheverry took the singles title and Fonseca/Melo won 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 São Paulo daily brief covers weather, events, transport, food, and practical tips for your day.
01
Weather & Air Quality
What to wear
Temperature
20°–26°C
Cloudy, mild
Rain Chance
34%
Afternoon showers possible
UV Index
Moderate
Overcast shield
Mon 23
26°C
34% rain — Cloudy
Tue 24
26°C
90% rain — Heavy
Wed 25
26°C
95% rain — Storms
Thu 26
23°C
75% rain — Easing
Weather tip: Cooler Monday at 26°C with overcast skies and only a modest chance of afternoon showers. The pós-Carnaval comedown matches the forecast: the big heat is gone, and a wet stretch arrives tomorrow. Tuesday through Thursday brings heavy rain (90–95% probability), so enjoy the relative dryness today. Light layers for the morning commute, an umbrella in the bag, and you are set. The city returns to full routine — first proper Monday since before Carnaval.
02
Day at a Glance
Quick scan
—PAULISTAO SEMIS SET — Palmeiras v São Paulo, Novorizontino v Corinthians. Single-leg matches Feb 28 / Mar 1
—PALMEIRAS 4-0 CAPIVARIANO (SAT) — Vitor Roque 2 goals, Jhon Arias debut. Arena Barueri
—SAO PAULO 2-1 BRAGANTINO (SAT) — Bobadilla + Lucas Moura. Alan Franco red card. Away win
—NOVORIZONTINO 2-1 SANTOS (SUN) — Léo Naldi 51’/2T. Neymar error led to 1st goal
—CORINTHIANS 1-1 PORTUGUESA (SUN) — Pens 8-7. Hugo Souza saves 3 penalties. Vitinho 49’/2T
—DESFILE DAS CAMPEAS (SAT NIGHT) — Mocidade Alegre closed Anhembi. 9 schools. Season over
—IBOVESPA RECORD — Closed 190,534 on Friday 20th (+1.06%). First close above 190K. USD/BRL R$5.176
—RIO OPEN — Etcheverry (ARG) wins singles. Fonseca/Melo win doubles for Brazil. ATP 500
—CITY RETURNS TO NORMAL — Full operations. Rodízio resumes. Metrô regular hours. B3 reopens
The weekend closed two seasons at once. Carnaval 2026 ended definitively — the Desfile das Campeãs packed the Anhembi on Saturday night, and the final pós-Carnaval blocos rolled through Ibirapuera on Sunday. Simultaneously, the Paulistão quarterfinals delivered four dramatic matches across the weekend, producing a semifinal bracket that pits the state’s biggest clubs against each other alongside the competition’s surprise package from Novo Horizonte. Markets resume today after a record-breaking Friday driven by the US Supreme Court tariff ruling. The city exhales and returns to routine.
03
Culture & Events
What to see & do
Weekend Recap — Pós-Carnaval Closes
The pós-Carnaval weekend delivered one final burst of street culture. On Saturday, BaianaSystem’s Navio Pirata anchored at Ibirapuera (15h–18h) as the headline bloco, alongside the Desfile das Campeãs at Anhembi from 20h into the small hours of Sunday. The nine-school procession ran with clockwork precision: X-9 Paulistana opened at 20h, with Mocidade Alegre — the 2026 champion — closing the season at 1h10 in front of full stands. Gaviões da Fiel, runners-up, paraded at approximately 3h10 to close the night.
Sunday brought the season’s final blocos. Léo Santana’s Vem com o Gigante (Ibirapuera, 9h), Pedro Sampaio’s Bloco Beats (Ibirapuera, 14h), Daniela Mercury’s Pipoca da Rainha (Consolação, 13h), and the Bloco do Síndico (Moema, 14h) all paraded as scheduled, closing the official Carnaval de Rua 2026. Over 55 blocos operated on Sunday alone, with more than 100 across the full pós-Carnaval weekend.
Monday Museum Picks
Pinacoteca de São Paulo
Pina Luz, Pina Estação, Pina Contemporânea — Mon 10h–18h — R$30 full / R$15 half
The Trabalho de Carnaval exhibition at Pina Luz remains on view — a timely post-Carnaval visit to see the festival reframed as labour. All three Pinacoteca venues are open today.
CCBB, Itaú Cultural & Japan House
Centro / Av. Paulista — Open Monday — Free admission
CCBB São Paulo (R. Álvares Penteado 112, Centro) is open and free. Itaú Cultural (Av. Paulista, 149) features the Game+ exhibition with 51 playable games across 25 consoles. Japan House (Av. Paulista, 52) is also open and free. MASP is closed Mondays — return Tuesday for free entry, 10h–20h.
04
Getting Around
How to move
Metrô & CPTM
→ Regular hours resume. Lines 1–3: 4h40–midnight. Lines 4–5: 4h40–midnight. CPTM lines on standard timetable. The 24h Carnaval service has ended
→ The special Carnaval transport operations — 24h metro, Atende+ shuttle buses to the Anhembi, free Domingão Tarifa Zero service — are all wrapped up
→ SPTrans bus lines return to weekday frequency. Expect heavier-than-usual traffic as the city wakes up after nearly two weeks of disrupted schedules
Rodízio & Roads
→ Rodízio resumes today after the Carnaval suspension. Monday = plates ending 1 and 2 restricted in the centro expandido, 7h–10h and 17h–20h
→ Marginal congestion will be back to standard Monday levels. Expect heavier-than-usual morning rush
→ MorumBis unavailable — the stadium is hosting a series of AC/DC concerts. Paulistão semifinal venue TBC
05
Food & Drink
Where to eat
Monday Comfort
→ Post-Carnaval Monday calls for comfort food. Padaria Bella Paulista (R. Haddock Lobo, 354 — 24h) never stopped; the pão na chapa remains the great hangover cure
→ Mocotó (Av. Nossa Sra. do Loreto, 1100, Vila Medeiros) reopens with its legendary caldos and northeastern comfort food — perfect for a grey, overcast Monday
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 all zones
06
Practical Info
Need to know
Monday Operations
→ Government offices at full capacity today. All municipal and state services resume standard hours
→ Banks open at regular hours (10h–16h). B3 resumes full trading at 10h
→ Poupatempo locations are open today. Agendamento via poupatempo.sp.gov.br
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 open normal hours
→ Gustavo Marques controversy: Bragantino defender made discriminatory remarks about referee Daiane Muniz after the São Paulo QF loss. Club issued statement repudiating comments. FPF likely to act this week
07
Community & Lifestyle
Local life
Post-Carnaval Monday
→ There is a distinct Monday-after-Carnaval energy across the city today. Streets around Ibirapuera and Consolação are being cleaned after yesterday’s final blocos
→ Public works crews are clearing temporary infrastructure from bloco routes. The rhythm shifts decisively from celebration to the working week
→ For expats, this is the week
São Paulo truly starts 2026 — the annual tradition of the “year only starting after Carnaval” reaches its literal fulfilment
Coming Up
→ Frestas — Trienal de Artes opens at Sesc Sorocaba on Thursday, February 27, featuring over 80 artists and community initiatives. Worth planning a weekend trip
→ Pharmacies open normal Monday hours: Drogaria São Paulo, Raia, Drogasil across all zones
→ Dengue season reminder: eliminate standing water, use repellent especially at dusk. UPAs and hospitals operating normally
08
Sports
Game day
Paulistão Quarterfinals — Full Weekend Results
| Match |
Score |
Key detail |
| Bragantino v São Paulo (Sat 18h30) |
1–2 |
Bobadilla 39′, Lucas Moura 6’/2T. G. Marques 27’/2T. Alan Franco red 46’/2T |
| Palmeiras v Capivariano (Sat 20h30) |
4–0 |
Vitor Roque 5’+35′, Andreas 46’/2T pen, Sosa 48’/2T. Arias debut |
| Novorizontino v Santos (Sun 16h) |
2–1 |
Rômulo 46’/1T, Bontempo 20’/2T, Léo Naldi 51’/2T. Neymar error |
| Portuguesa v Corinthians (Sun 20h30) |
1–1 (7–8 pen) |
Zé Vitor 37′, Vitinho 49’/2T. Hugo Souza saved 3 pens (1 normal + 2 shootout) |
Semifinals confirmed: Palmeiras v São Paulo and Novorizontino v Corinthians. Single-leg matches scheduled for Feb 28 / Mar 1 — dates and venues TBC by FPF. Novorizontino earned home advantage as the best-performing campaign (19 pts). MorumBis is unavailable for São Paulo’s semifinal due to AC/DC concerts.
Rio Open — Weekend 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 over seven hours across semi and final in the same day — both delayed from Saturday’s washout. First ATP title for Etcheverry.
Etcheverry played semi (vs Kopriva 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4)) and final on the same day.
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/Melo: Brazil’s title at the Rio Open 2026.
09
Business & Markets
Market watch
→ Ibovespa: closed Friday 20th at 190,534.42 (+1.06%) — first-ever close above 190k, 12th record of 2026. Intraday high: 190,726.78. 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 — MASP free day (10h–20h). Heavy rain expected (90%). Brasileirão R4 midweek fixtures begin
→ Wed Feb 25 — Brasileirão R4: Palmeiras v Fluminense (Arena Barueri, 21h30). Cruzeiro v Corinthians (Mineirão, 21h30). Bragantino v Athletico (Bragança, 19h). Coritiba v São Paulo (Couto Pereira, 20h). Washout risk: 95% rain
→ Thu Feb 26 — Santos v Vasco (Vila Belmiro, 19h). Copa do Brasil 2nd phase: Novorizontino v Nacional-AM (Jorjão, 18h)
→ Thu Feb 27 — Frestas Trienal de Artes opens at Sesc Sorocaba (80+ artists, community initiatives)
→ Sat/Sun Feb 28–Mar 1 — Paulistão semifinals. Single-leg matches: Palmeiras v São Paulo, Novorizontino v Corinthians. Dates/times TBC by FPF
→ Mar 4 + Mar 8 — Paulistão final (two legs). Best-campaign finalist hosts Game 2
Looking ahead: Carnaval 2026 is officially over. The competitive samba season ended with the Desfile das Campeãs, the blocos have packed up, and the city pivots to a dense week of Brasileirão, Copa do Brasil, and the countdown to the Paulistão semifinals. The Ibovespa enters Monday at all-time highs, with the US tariff saga adding both opportunity and uncertainty for Brazilian markets. A wet midweek (90–95% rain Tue–Wed) will test the city’s drainage systems after weeks of Carnaval infrastructure. For culture, the MASP year of Histórias Latino-Americanas launches its next phase in March, and the Frestas Trienal opens Thursday. The real year begins now.
São Paulo Daily Brief — Monday, February 23, 2026
A culture-first daily guide for locals and expats in the Terra da Garoa.
