Anyone planning to use free grandstand admission for Círio 2026 needs to keep two separate dates in mind: registration opens on September 10, and free tickets must be collected on September 15, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Diretoria da Festa de Nazaré (DFN) has reserved 900 free tickets: 600 for the Trasladação procession and 300 for the main Círio procession. Eligibility covers people aged 60 or older and people with disabilities.
The rules below follow the official notice published by the Diretoria da Festa de Nazaré. Because the number of free tickets is limited, the key point is not to confuse regular ticket sales, which began on September 8, with the separate free-admission registration that starts two days later on the same website.
Who can request free grandstand admission
- People aged 60 or older.
- People with disabilities.
- Children up to two years old also enter free of charge and, according to the DFN, do not need to register.
There are 900 free tickets in total. The organization has allocated 600 to the Trasladação on October 10 and 300 to the Círio on October 11. Free admission is not unlimited: it is a defined pool of reserved seats.
Calendar: registration, collection and grandstand entry
| Step | Date and time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Regular sales | From September 8 | Online purchase of paid tickets for sectors A and B. |
| Free-admission registration | From September 10 | Request through the same website used for sales, the Lojinha do Círio. |
| Free-ticket collection | September 15, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Tickets are handed out exclusively at Casa de Plácido, in Centro Social Nazaré, in the parking area of the Basílica Santuário. |
| Trasladação | October 10; grandstand entry from 5 p.m. | The procession held on the eve of Círio. |
| Círio | October 11; grandstand entry from 6 a.m. | The main Sunday procession. |
How to request free admission from September 10
- Go to the Lojinha do Círio website. The DFN says free-admission registration will use the same site as regular ticket sales.
- Look for the free-admission option, not regular purchase. Paid sales began on September 8, while the free registration has its own opening date on September 10.
- Complete the form according to the instructions shown on the site. Since only 900 free tickets are available, it is sensible to apply once registration opens.
- Keep the registration confirmation. The official notice does not specify the format of that confirmation, so it is prudent to save any receipt, protocol number or message generated by the system.
- Prepare the documents required for September 15. Collection requires a photo ID and proof of eligibility for free admission.
What to bring when collecting the ticket on September 15
Collection will take place exclusively at Casa de Plácido, in Centro Social Nazaré, in the parking area of the Basílica Santuário, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The DFN requires two things:
- a photo ID;
- proof that the person is entitled to free admission.
For older adults, the proof must allow staff to verify that the person is at least 60. For people with disabilities, the official notice reviewed here does not specify which document, medical report, card or registry will be accepted. It would therefore be unsafe to invent a document checklist the DFN has not published. Follow the instructions shown in the online form and, if necessary, confirm the requirement through official channels before collection day.
Paid tickets and free admission are not the same queue
| Rule | Paid purchase | Free admission |
|---|---|---|
| Start date | September 8 | September 10 |
| Who it is for | General public | People aged 60+ and people with disabilities; children up to two enter free without registration |
| Quantity | About 4,000 seats per day announced by the DFN | 900 tickets: 600 for the Trasladação and 300 for the Círio |
| Payment | PIX or card | No charge for the ticket reserved under the free-admission scheme |
| Published limit | Up to five tickets per CPF in regular sales | The notice does not say that the five-per-CPF limit for paid sales applies to free admission |
| Collection | Follows the online purchase process | September 15, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Casa de Plácido |
The DFN also states that there will be no half-price tickets in regular sales. That does not cancel the 900 free tickets: these are separate mechanisms. Free admission is a specific allocation for the groups named by the organization.
What the official notice still does not clarify
Some details do not appear in the published rules and should not be treated as guaranteed:
- which specific document will be accepted as proof of disability;
- whether a companion of a person with a disability automatically receives free admission;
- how the DFN will prioritize requests if demand exceeds the 900 free tickets;
- whether someone else can collect the ticket on behalf of the beneficiary.
If any of these points is essential to your situation, confirm it before traveling to the collection site. The online form may include additional instructions that are not part of the general announcement.
Quick checklist before applying
- Confirm that you qualify as a person aged 60+ or a person with a disability.
- Access the free-admission registration from September 10.
- Do not confuse free registration with paid ticket sales that began on September 8.
- Save the confirmation generated by the system.
- Prepare a photo ID and proof of eligibility.
- Plan to collect the ticket on September 15, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Casa de Plácido.
- Check whether your ticket is for the October 10 Trasladação or the October 11 Círio procession.
For last-minute changes, check the official Círio de Nazaré page and the Lojinha do Círio. With limited availability and fixed dates, the instructions shown by official channels at the time of registration should take precedence over older information or third-party summaries.
