Rio Art Week road closures: September 16–27 schedule and public transport options

From September 16 to 27, 2026, Rio Art Week will change traffic circulation in parts of downtown Rio and Santa Teresa. The event's first edition brings together more than 400 attractions, and CET-Rio has scheduled road closures in Lapa, Praça Tiradentes, Santa Teresa and Praça XV. For anyone who needs to cross the area, the key point is that some closures repeat every day, while others apply only on weekends or during specific time windows.

The official recommendation is to avoid private cars and prioritize public transport. CET-Rio recommends the metro and VLT light rail to move between event hubs, BRT with a connection at Terminal Gentileza, trains arriving at Central do Brasil and ferries for passengers heading to Praça XV. The operation will be monitored by the city's Operations and Resilience Center, so traffic adjustments may be made depending on conditions on the streets.

Closure calendar: what changes each day

Lapa: daily closures plus additional weekend restrictions

Lapa has the largest number of affected street segments. From September 16 to 27, three groups of closures repeat every day:

• Rua dos Arcos, between Praça Cardeal Câmara and Rua do Lavradio: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Rua Marquês Rebelo, between Rua Morais e Vale and Rua da Lapa, and Beco dos Carmelitas, between Avenida Augusto Severo and Rua Morais e Vale: noon to 11:59 p.m.
• Rua Morais e Vale, between Rua Joaquim Silva and Beco dos Carmelitas: noon to 10 p.m.

On September 19, 20, 26 and 27, additional restrictions apply:

• Rua Joaquim Silva, between Travessa do Mosqueira and number 60: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Rua do Senado, between Rua do Lavradio and Avenida Gomes Freire: noon to 11:59 p.m.
• Rua do Lavradio, left lane between Rua da Relação and Rua do Senado: noon to 11:59 p.m.

For drivers who only need to cross downtown, these time windows are a strong reason not to build a route that depends on Lapa's inner streets, especially in the afternoon and evening.

Praça Tiradentes: afternoon closures every day and Rua da Carioca closed on September 27

From September 16 to 27, between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., CET-Rio lists closures on:

• Rua Luís de Camões, between Avenida Passos and Rua Gonçalves Ledo;
• Rua Imperatriz Leopoldina, between Praça Tiradentes and Travessa das Belas Artes;
• Praça Tiradentes, between Avenida Passos and Rua Imperatriz Leopoldina.

On September 27, there is another important change: Rua da Carioca, between Avenida República do Paraguai and Rua Uruguaiana, is closed from 5 a.m. on September 27 until 5 a.m. on September 28.

Santa Teresa: Rua Paschoal Carlos Magno closes for continuous periods

In Santa Teresa, the closure is not a short daily window. Rua Paschoal Carlos Magno, between Largo dos Guimarães and Rua Felício dos Santos, is closed during two continuous periods:

• from 8 a.m. on Sep. 19 to 3 a.m. on Sep. 21;
• from 8 a.m. on Sep. 26 to 3 a.m. on Sep. 28.

Anyone who needs to reach nearby addresses by car should assume that access through Rua Paschoal Carlos Magno itself will not be available during those periods and should plan the final leg using another street or local transport.

Praça XV: Rua da Quitanda and one explicitly partial closure on Rua Primeiro de Março

On September 19 and 26, Rua da Quitanda, between Rua do Rosário and Rua do Ouvidor, is closed from 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

On the night of September 18, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day, CET-Rio describes a different situation: there is a partial closure of the parking bay and one traffic lane on Rua Primeiro de Março, in front of number 14, between Largo do Paço and Rua do Ouvidor, for a stretch of up to 30 meters.

How to read the distinction: the official notice explicitly labels only this Rua Primeiro de Março restriction as partial. For the other items, CET-Rio lists closures without saying that a lane will remain open. For trip planning, it is therefore prudent to treat the other listed segments as unavailable to normal vehicle traffic during the published time windows.

How to get there by metro, VLT, BRT, train or ferry

A practical strategy to avoid the closures

• If your destination is Lapa: avoid relying on a car on inner streets, especially after noon and on September 19, 20, 26 and 27, when more segments are closed.
• If your destination is Praça Tiradentes: consider arriving before 2 p.m. or using VLT/metro and walking the final leg during the 2–7 p.m. closure window.
• If your destination is Santa Teresa: treat the September 19–20 and 26–27 weekends as periods of restricted access via Rua Paschoal Carlos Magno.
• If your destination is Praça XV: VLT and ferries reduce the need to drive where Rua da Quitanda is closed and Rua Primeiro de Março has reduced road capacity.
• If you are only crossing downtown: build in extra time. CET-Rio says the Operations and Resilience Center will monitor conditions and may adjust traffic signals.

What CET-Rio did not specify

The official publication gives the closed street segments and time windows and recommends public transport, but it does not provide a complete street-by-street detour plan for drivers, nor does it announce event-specific schedule changes for the metro, VLT, BRT, trains or ferries. Check real-time conditions close to departure and consult the operators' channels before trips that depend on connections.

Official sources to check before you leave

• CET-Rio: traffic operation and closure list for Rio Art Week.
• City of Rio: event overview and integrated operation.
• VLT Carioca: Line 4 between Praça XV and Terminal Gentileza.
• MetrôRio: line and station status.
• SuperVia: Central do Brasil station and connections.
• Barcas Rio: ferry lines, schedules and fares.