Círio de Nazaré
Traditions · Belém, Brésil
The festival
It is one of the largest Catholic processes in the world: every second Saturday and Sunday of October, more than two million faithful accompany the image of Nossa Senhora de Nazaré in the streets of Belém, Amazonian capital of Pará. In 2026, for the 234th edition, the great procession took place on Sunday 11 October, at the end of the Trasladação on Saturday evening, between the cathedral of Se and the Basílica Santuário.
The faithful dispute the honor of holding the "corda", the long rope that draws the glass berlinda from the Virgin. Fourteen processes are held on the 15th, from 7 to 26 October. Born of a devotion of 1793, the Círio de Nazaré has been inscribed in the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO since 2013.
Good to know
234th edition in 2026; the great procession takes place on the second Sunday of October.