New Year’s Eve 2026 in Rio de Janeiro: Réveillon on Copacabana

By the ULTIMATE Rio de Janeiro Editorial Team

Réveillon on Copacabana beach

Rio’s Réveillon is the city’s own party: free, open to all, with stages on Copacabana beach and in neighbourhoods across the city, and fireworks fired from barges offshore at midnight. At the last edition, on 31 December 2025, the city reports three stages in Copacabana, including the main Palco Rio in front of the Copacabana Palace, and around twelve minutes of fireworks from 19 barges along the seafront.

The programme for 31 December 2026, with its artists, stages and times, has not yet been published on the city’s own pages; we will add it when it is. Every seafront hotel party below is timed around the same moment: midnight, when the sky over the bay lights up.

Our advice: the city counted around 2.6 million people on Copacabana beach last New Year’s Eve. Arrive early, travel light, or watch from a hotel terrace.

Prefeitura do Rio: information on the Réveillon →

The grand hotels: the Copacabana Palace and Fairmont Rio

The Copacabana Palace’s New Year’s Eve party, to welcome 2027, fills the hotel’s halls and the pool terrace: a banquet of breads, charcuterie, cheeses, seafood, hot dishes and desserts, an open bar with mixologists’ cocktails and Veuve Clicquot, and DJs until dawn. The countdown is on the hotel’s balcony, facing the fireworks. Dress is smart casual, with a suggestion of traditional white. Belmond does not print the price: book through the hotel.

Further along the beach, Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana calls its night Into the Light. A five-course dinner runs from 7.30pm to 11.30pm across the Marine, Spirit and pool areas, with live music, performances and drinks included; after midnight comes late-night dining from 12.15am to 2.30am and an after-party with a DJ on the fourth floor. Prices are given on booking, on +55 21 2525-1232.

Our advice: ask early, and ask for a room facing the sea if you want to stay the night.

Belmond Copacabana Palace: New Year’s Eve →   Fairmont Rio: New Year’s Eve 2027 →

Five parties at the Othon Palace

The Othon Palace Copacabana holds five Réveillon parties. Festa Luxury, on the first floor from 10pm to 4am, is the big night out: the drummers of the Portela samba school, DJ Tubarão, live music, open bar and food, a private area in front of the hotel for the fireworks, and breakfast. Festa Orla, on the newly renovated third floor from 9pm to 3am, has set tables, a Réveillon supper, Portela’s drummers and the band Cover Up.

Higher up, Festa Exclusive fills the Skylab restaurant on the 30th floor from 8pm to 2am, with a chef’s buffet and a premium open bar, and Festa Skylights takes the 31st-floor rooftop and pool, with DJ Eve and LED drummers, the same hours and access to every party in the hotel. On the sand, Festa Wave runs from 9pm to 3am at the Wave by Othon kiosk, opposite the Museu da Imagem e do Som.

Our advice: the Orla, Exclusive, Skylights and Wave tickets all include entry to Festa Luxury until 4am, so you can dine high above the beach and dance downstairs after midnight.

Othon: Festa Luxury →   Othon: Festa Orla →   Othon: Festa Exclusive →   Othon: Festa Skylights →   Othon: Festa Wave →

Rooftops at the Windsor Excelsior, Windsor Leme and the Pestana

The Windsor hotels open their rooftops on the Avenida Atlântica: the Windsor Excelsior and the Windsor Leme each hold a party from 9pm on 31 December to 2am, with live music, a DJ, a full buffet, desserts and a premium open bar, at shared tables the hotel assigns. Flip-flops and swimwear are not allowed.

Both also serve a Réveillon supper in their restaurants, and the Windsor California and Miramar by Windsor have seafront suppers open to non-residents. Ticket sales were paused when we checked.

At the Pestana Rio Atlântica, the rooftop is reserved on the night for hotel guests and holders of a ticket to its New Year’s Eve party, with wristbands; the pool and rooftop are closed to everyone else from noon on 31 December to noon on 1 January.

Our advice: rooftop parties sell out first; book the room and the party together.

Windsor Hotéis: Réveillon 2027 →   Windsor Excelsior: rooftop party →   Windsor Leme: rooftop party →   Pestana Rio Atlântica: New Year offer →

Before you go

White is the colour of the night in Rio; even the Copacabana Palace suggests it. December is the height of the Carioca summer, so dress for warm night air. Bring photo ID: the Windsor parties ask for it at the door with your ticket, and alcohol is served only to over-18s.

The city publishes its road closures, transport arrangements and stage times for the Réveillon closer to the night, on its own channels and through Riotur. Windsor notes that New Year is one of the busiest weeks of the year and that rooms and parties sell out quickly, so book now.

Our advice: stay within walking distance of the beach; on the night, the shortest way home is usually on foot.

Getting around Rio de Janeiro →

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