City government releases special operational plan for Rock in Rio 2026

The Rio de Janeiro City Hall announced this Thursday (August 27th) the operational plan that will be adopted for Rock in Rio 2026, on September 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 11th, 12th and 13th, at Cidade do Rock. The plan was presented at the Operations and Resilience Center (COR-Rio), by the municipal agencies and secretariats involved.

The event takes place over seven days, including two weekdays, two weekends and the Brazilian Independence Day holiday (7), in the Southwest Zone of Rio. Because it is a large-scale event with a significant impact on tourism and intense traffic, the Rio City Hall, through Riotur, has put together a plan to ensure the smooth routine functioning of the city.

– Rock in Rio is an integrated operation, involving planning, coordination, and joint action by different municipal agencies. Riotur's role is to coordinate this work so that the festival takes place with organization and safety, respecting the city's and Rio's residents' routines and providing the best possible experience for everyone who comes to Rio to enjoy the shows – stated the president of Riotur, Bernardo Fellows.

Special traffic operation

The Rio de Janeiro Traffic Engineering Company (CET-Rio) will implement a special traffic plan. To facilitate the arrival and departure of the public to the event, the entire area surrounding the Olympic Park will have restricted circulation and parking prohibited on the days of the event. Only vehicles belonging to registered residents, official vehicles, and the BRT will be allowed access to the blocked area.

Access control to the area restricted for the festival will be through license plate reading via an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) system and high-visibility totems to confirm vehicle access status in real time.

Residents who have previously registered will receive a "green light" for access. Other vehicles, without registration, will receive a "red light" and will be directed out of the blocked area. This process speeds up the release of cars and improves traffic flow, as only registered vehicles will have access to the region.

 

Furthermore, traffic officers will be present using video surveillance. The objective is to ensure mobility on the access roads to the City of Rock and also to prevent possible irregularities within the blocked area, such as parking in prohibited locations. The roads where the operation will take place will be properly signposted as determined by Contran Resolution 909/2022. In addition to the teams working in the area, traffic officers will be remotely monitoring, through cameras, in real time, any traffic violations being committed.

On each day of the event, CET-Rio will have 210 professionals involved in traffic operations, including operators and support staff; 20 operational vehicles and 40 motorcycles will be deployed to maintain traffic flow, curb irregularities, and guide pedestrians and drivers. In addition, 39 mobile and fixed variable message signs will reinforce the information regarding road closures and alternative routes.

Technicians from CET-Rio, at the Operations and Resilience Center (COR-Rio), will monitor the entire event area via cameras so that, if necessary, traffic light adjustments can be made to maintain good traffic conditions.

For quick clearing in case of accidents or vehicle breakdowns, 17 CET-Rio tow trucks will be positioned at strategic points on the main roads in the region.

Prohibitions

From 14 PM to 05 AM every day of the event.

● Ambassador Abelardo Bueno Avenue along its entire length, and Engineer Carlos Carvalho Avenue between Colonel Pedro Correa Road and Arroio Pavuna Road;

● Coronel Pedro Corrêa Road, between the Pedro Corrêa BRT Station return and Abelardo Bueno Avenue

● Salvador Allende Avenue, side lane, towards Estrada dos Bandeirantes, between the merge point from the side lane to the central lane, near Rua Pedro Calmon, and the merge point from the central lane to the side lane, near the Morro do Outeiro BRT Station;

● Aroazes Street;

● Jaime Poggi Avenue;

● Franz Weissman Street;

● Francisco de Paula Street, in the section between Ambassador Abelardo Bueno Avenue and Jaime Poggi Avenue;

● Jorge Faraj Street;

● Bruno Giorgi Street, among others.

 

Alternative routes

Vehicles that normally travel along Avenida Embaixador Abelardo Bueno should use the following alternative routes:

● RECREATION – JACAREPAGUÁ

Av. Lucio Costa, Av. das Américas and Av. Ayrton Senna.

● DOWNTOWN (YELLOW LINE) – RECREIO / VARGENS

Vehicles coming from the Center, via the Yellow Line, should use Av. Ayrton Senna, Av. das Américas and Av. Benvindo de Novaes.

● BARRA / RECREATION – TRANSOLÍMPICA

Drivers should follow Salvador Allende Avenue. Those on Ambassador Abelardo Bueno Avenue can continue along Arroio Pavuna Road, Bandeirantes Road, and then access the Transolímpica via Calmete Road.

Residents

Vehicles belonging to residents in the immediate vicinity of Rock City have been previously registered and must access their homes following the instructions provided during the registration process. Due to the large number of pedestrians in the blocked area, residents should avoid driving whenever possible.

Parking ban

On event days, parking will be prohibited, in addition to already regulated areas, on several roads in the region. It is essential that drivers observe all installed signage to avoid having their vehicles towed to public impound lots.

Routine city operations

During the festival days, the road closures for maintenance of the city's tunnels and the Porto Cycling Competition Protection Area (APCC) will be suspended. Reversible lanes and leisure areas will operate normally.

important recommendations

● Traffic should be avoided on roads surrounding the event, especially Av. Abelardo Bueno, Estrada dos Bandeirantes, Av. Salvador Allende and Av. Engenheiro Carlos Carvalho.

● There will be no designated parking area around the event. The main recommendation for getting to and from the event is to use public transportation, especially the BRT, Metro, and their connecting routes.

Special transport and mobility operation

The Municipal Transportation Secretariat (SMTR) and MOBI-Rio are preparing a special mobility operation to facilitate the movement of the public attending Rock in Rio 2026. During the seven days of the festival (September 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, and 13), MOBI-Rio will operate a special BRT service to expand public transportation options and ensure faster, more organized, and safer journeys to the City of Rock in the Olympic Park: the Rock in Rio Express BRT. Tickets are already on sale and cost R$ 29, payable exclusively through the Jaé app.

As the main focus of the operation prepared by the City Hall, the BRT will have three special services that will provide direct and semi-direct connections to the City of Rock, through the system's exclusive corridors to ensure faster and more comfortable journeys. The services will be operated with articulated buses.

SE 08 – T. Jardim Oceânico x T. Centro Olímpico (direct) – travel time 30 minutes;

SE 09 – T. Alvorada x Morro do Outeiro (direct) – travel time 18 minutes;

SE 10 – T. Paulo da Portela x Morro do Outeiro (semi-direct), with stops at Praça Seca, Tanque and Taquara stations – travel time 40 minutes.

Jaé will be the payment method for the special service.

Tickets for the special BRT Expresso Rock in Rio services can now be purchased through the Jaé app. The purchase is entirely digital: the passenger selects the day of the festival they wish to use the service, pays R$ 29 per ticket, and secures their trip for the chosen date.

To use the Rock in Rio Express BRT, you need the Jaé app and must register on the platform. Tickets must be purchased using your Transportation Account balance, which can be topped up via Pix or credit card.

Jaé also offers an alternative to facilitate purchases by foreign tourists. It is possible to buy Rock in Rio Express tickets without needing to register a CPF (Brazilian tax identification number) on the app. In this case, the user can register by providing only their email address or mobile phone number and make the payment via Pix (Brazilian instant payment system) or credit card.

Each user can purchase up to 10 tickets for each day of the event, which also allows for the purchase of tickets for family and friends.

Boarding pass and wristband for return.

On the day of the event, passengers must present the QR code for the special boarding service. Upon disembarking at the Olympic Center Terminal or Morro do Outeiro Station, passengers will be directed to the tent located near the entrance to the City of Rock. There, the QR code will be validated for the delivery and placement of the wristband that will allow boarding on the special return services. The wristband is individual and valid only for that day. Passengers using only the special service on the return trip can also board by purchasing a special ticket for R$ 29, exclusively through the Jaé app.

BRT stations will have changes to their schedules.

To manage passenger flow during the festival, some stations around the Olympic Park will operate on different schedules:

* Rio 2 Station: from 5am to 22pm;

* Olympic Park Station: from 6 am to 10 am;

* Pedro Corrêa Station: from 5 am to midnight;

* Rede Sarah Station: open 24 hours on event days.

MOBI-Rio teams will guide passengers and organize boarding and disembarking throughout the festival.

Step-by-step guide to buying a Rock in Rio Express BRT ticket.

– Access the Jaé app.

Click on BRT Expresso Rock in Rio – ticket sales

– Select “Buy ticket”

Choose the number of people.

– Select the desired day(s).

– Make the payment using your Transportation Account balance, Pix, or credit card.

Confirm your purchase.

After confirmation, the order will be available in the “My Orders” section. The QR code will be provided on the day of the event.

Guidelines:

Each Jaé account can purchase tickets for up to 10 people in a single purchase.

The QR code will only be valid for the day selected when purchasing the special service ticket; it cannot be used on another date.

– For bracelet validation, the accepted QR Code is the one that will be generated when purchasing the special service.

MetroRio will have special operation.

Jardim Oceânico Station will remain open 24 hours for boarding. The other stations will operate during the early morning hours only for disembarking.

MetroRio will have a special operating schedule to serve the public attending Rock in Rio Brasil 2026. To facilitate the arrival and departure of the public during the festival days (September 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12 and 13), the Jardim Oceânico/Barra da Tijuca station, the integration terminal with the Rock in Rio BRT Special Service, will be open 24 hours for boarding. The other stations in the metro system will operate on their normal schedule for boarding and, during the early morning hours, will remain open, but only for disembarking.

Lines 1 and 4 will run from Uruguai station to Jardim Oceânico, the connecting station to the BRT. Line 2 will run between Pavuna and Botafogo, and transfers between lines 1 and 2 will be possible at the Central do Brasil/Centro and Botafogo station section throughout the festival.

MetrôRio recommends purchasing tickets accepted by the concessionaire in advance (which cost R$ 7,90 per trip) or topping up other cards, which can be used for transfers to the Olympic Center, the event's venue.

The integration between the subway system and the Rock in Rio BRT Special Service will be carried out exclusively at the Jardim Oceânico/Barra da Tijuca station. The Vicente de Carvalho station will not have direct integration with the special service.

Check the rates

Round trip to the event

Subway (Lines 1, 2 and 4)

R$ 7,90 per trip

(Riocard, Jaé and contactless payment – ​​NFC)

Metro (Riocard, Jaé and NFC) + BRT (Jaé) = R$ 44,80

(R$15,80 round trip on the subway + R$29,00 round trip on the BRT with the special fare)

Social fare on the subway

The Social Fare benefit (Intermunicipal Single Ticket) for eligible customers will continue to be maintained as normal for boarding the metro system during Rock in Rio.

Free rides on the subway

People with disabilities (PWDs), children up to 6 years and 11 months old accompanied by an adult with a valid free pass or digital ticket, and people over 65 years of age must present an official document proving their age at the turnstiles to board the stations during the special metro operation. Anyone with questions can check MetrôRio's social media, call the SAC (0800 595 1111), or get information at one of the system's 41 stations.

For more information on how the metro works, visit the website (https://www.metrorio.com.br/) or contact MetrôRio's Customer Service (0800 595 1111).

MetroRio operating hours during Rock in Rio 2026

Subway – Lines 1, 2 and 4

September 4th, 5th, 11th and 12th: From 5 am to midnight, normal operation. During the early morning hours, the Jardim Oceânico/Barra da Tijuca station remains open for boarding, while the other stations remain open only for disembarking until the opening time of the following day's operation (5 am on Fridays and Saturdays or 7 am on Sundays).

September 7th (Independence Day Holiday): From 7 am to 23 pm, as is the case on holidays. During the early morning hours, the Jardim Oceânico/Barra da Tijuca station remains open for boarding, while the other stations are open only for disembarking between 23 pm on Monday and 5 am on Tuesday.

September 6th and 13th (Sundays): From 7 am to 23 pm, normal service is available, and during the early morning hours, boarding is permitted through the Jardim Oceânico/Barra da Tijuca station, with other stations open only for disembarking between 23 pm and 5 am on Monday.

Transfer between lines 1 and 2

September 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12 and 13: in the shared stretch between Pavuna and Botafogo

More information is available on the MetrôRio website.

Line 1 of the Light Rail Transit (VLT) will operate 24 hours a day.

The Rio Light Rail (VLT Carioca) will have special operations during the Rock in Rio festival to facilitate the movement of locals and tourists after the shows. Line 1 (Terminal Gentileza x Santos Dumont) will operate 24 hours a day on September 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, and 13, with an express service between 23 PM and 5 AM.

During this period, trains will run at 60-minute intervals, with boarding and disembarking at the Gentileza Terminal and the Rodoviária, Cordeiro da Graça, Carioca, Cinelândia, and Santos Dumont stations. From 5:00 AM, Line 1 resumes regular operation, serving all stops along the route. The other VLT lines will operate normally, from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM.

The special operation aims to facilitate the return of the festival audience, especially for passengers using the subway, with connections to the light rail at the Carioca and Cinelândia stations, and for those heading to the port area, Rio Bus Terminal, Gentileza Terminal (which offers connections to buses and BRT), and Santos Dumont Airport. Customer service teams will also be reinforced during the operation.

Access and payment

The fare for the VLT Carioca is R$ 5. Payment can be made with the Jaé digital card, available in the app, or with the physical card, purchased from the self-service machines installed at the Gentileza Terminal, stops, and stations.

Boarding takes place after validating your ticket inside the trains. Simply hold your physical or virtual card near the validators located near the train doors.

It is also possible to pay for the ticket via Pix. To do this, the passenger must select the “Pay with Pix” option on the validator screen. A QR code, valid for 60 seconds, will then be displayed, which must be scanned by the financial institution's app to complete the transaction.

After payment, it is important that the passenger keeps the payment receipt and an identification document throughout the trip, to present to the inspection team if requested.

Service — Rock in Rio Operation

Line 1 – Gentileza Terminal x Santos Dumont

Dates: September 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 11nd, 12th and 13th

Special operation hours: 23 PM to 5 AM

Boarding and disembarking stations: Gentileza Terminal, Bus Station, Cordeiro da Graça, Carioca, Cinelândia and Santos Dumont.

Starting at 5 a.m.: regular service, with boarding and disembarking at all stations on Line 1.

Other lines: normal operation, from 5 am to 23 pm.

Urban planning with SEOP

The Municipal Secretariat of Public Order (SEOP) has set up a special plan for the seven days of Rock in Rio 2026 in the city's Southwest Zone, employing 478 agents in the region for urban order enforcement actions, as well as providing guidance to locals and tourists attending the festival. The personnel will work in 12-hour shifts. In addition, the operation will be supported by 47 vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, as well as 5 tow trucks. The teams will also focus on inspecting street vendors, especially to curb the sale of glass bottles and food without proven origin, monitoring supplementary transportation, and removing illegally parked vehicles.

Of the total number of agents, 359 will be employed exclusively at BRT stations and on articulated buses, through the BRT Seguro program, ensuring the safety and order of the system. The program will operate at stations on the Transoeste, Transolímpica, Transcarioca, and Transbrasil lines, with full coverage for Rock in Rio 2026, guaranteeing the safety of passengers on the BRT System (MOBI-Rio).

More than 400 municipal guards are on duty every day.

The special operation by the Municipal Guard (GM-Rio) will run from September 01st to 18th. The total number of officers deployed during these 18 days, across all strategic areas covered by the operation, will be 4.708 municipal guards.

During Rock in Rio, GM-Rio will intensify its actions focused on urban mobility around the City of Rock, operating road closures, traffic enforcement and monitoring, and guiding pedestrian crossings, prioritizing road safety. In addition to the area around the City of Rock, the operation will also cover the main transportation terminals accessing the event facilities, such as the Alvorada and Jardim Oceânico terminals.

The teams will operate in the event area and at the city's main entry points, such as the Rio Bus Station, airports, and Mauá Pier; and will conduct preventive patrols at the main tourist attractions.

Real-time monitoring

All coordinated activity by the City Hall departments in the Olympic Park area will be monitored in real time by the Operations and Resilience Center (COR-Rio) during Rock in Rio. A total of 800 cameras will track the movement of the public along the roads in the event area (Barra Olímpica, Curicica, Barra da Tijuca and Recreio dos Bandeirantes), traffic blockade points, and BRT boarding and disembarking locations.

With the goal of speeding up the integrated work of the Rio City Hall teams, COR-Rio will have an advanced base set up in the Olympic Park, with operators dedicated exclusively to monitoring the event area. The operation will also include three drones to monitor crowd movement and mobility, as well as assist operations in areas where there are no cameras.

All pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the area will be monitored by a daily team of approximately 250 operators on duty in the Situation Room at the COR-Rio headquarters in Cidade Nova, in front of the largest video wall in Latin America, measuring 104 square meters and composed of 125 55-inch screens. A unique layout for the screen was developed specifically for the event to facilitate the work of the on-duty operators.

The Rio de Janeiro City Hall's Operations and Resilience Center is responsible for monitoring and optimizing the city's daily operations, anticipating and managing crises in collaboration with other agencies, and providing citizens with a prompt response to incidents in the city.

COR-Rio advises residents and visitors to follow real-time information on traffic conditions, transportation status, and weather forecasts in Rio through social media (@operacoesrio), the Operations Center's WhatsApp news channel, and the COR.Rio app. In addition, digital panels installed on street furniture, public transport, airports, commercial buildings, and shopping malls will inform the public about scheduled traffic restrictions for the day of the event.

Urban cleaning of the region

Comlurb has prepared a special cleaning plan for the external area of ​​Cidade do Rock during Rock in Rio 2026. The company will have 142 sanitation workers on each of the seven days of shows, divided into three work shifts, 24 hours a day.

The cleaning service will be carried out along the entire length of Avenida Abelardo Bueno and surrounding streets, such as: Avenida Salvador Allende, Avenida Ayrton Senna, Avenida das Américas, Avenida Armando Lombardi and Avenida Ministro Ivan Lins, among others.

The daily service includes 11 blower machines, 6 mini dump trucks, 3 compactor trucks, 4 large sweepers, 1 medium sweeper, and 2 water tankers and 2 vans with motor pumps for washing the streets with reused water and a mixture of detergent and hypochlorite, among other vehicles and equipment.

350 containers will be distributed along the route between the bus terminals and the event venue to ensure everyone properly disposes of their waste.

Public health actions

The City of Rock will have six medical posts under the responsibility of the event organization, with 16 ambulances for any necessary transfers. The Municipal Regulation Center, of the Municipal Health Secretariat (SMS), will work together with the event's medical coordination to organize transfers of patients with more complex conditions who need assistance in the public health network. The Lourenço Jorge Municipal Hospital and the Barra Emergency Care Unit (CER Barra) will be the reference units and will receive reinforcements in their shifts to meet any potential demand.

During the two weeks of Rock in Rio, from Thursday to Saturday, the Municipal Health Department (SMS) will reinforce its measles vaccination campaign at the city's entry points (airports and bus station) and locations with large concentrations of people, such as Copacabana beach, Urca (near the cable car station), and the Jardim Oceânico Terminal, among other points. The number of cases of the disease has risen again in Brazil, mainly in São Paulo, and also in some neighboring countries, and increasing vaccination coverage for children and adults is important to keep the population of Rio protected.

The department will also carry out health surveillance and sanitary surveillance actions. In health surveillance, monitoring of the epidemiological scenario (international, national and local) began four weeks before Rock in Rio. Even before the event, a technical visit was conducted to assess environmental conditions, risk factors and actions taken; and vector control actions were carried out throughout the event area and adjacent areas.

During Rock in Rio, there will be staff on duty every day of the festival monitoring and acting on events of public health interest. Guidance will be given to medical post teams regarding diseases and conditions subject to mandatory reporting; and heat levels will be monitored. After the event, the Municipal Health Department will continue to monitor the epidemiological situation for four weeks. Any identified cases of diseases or conditions subject to mandatory reporting will be referred to the responsible technical areas.

The Municipal Institute of Sanitary Surveillance (IVISA-Rio) is involved in the pre-event phase, providing sanitary education, guidance, and clarifications to suppliers and service providers involved in the event; and conducting technical visits to the setup of food service structures and medical posts. During Rock in Rio, inspections will be carried out on hygienic and sanitary conditions related to the production, handling, storage, transport, and distribution of food and beverages; collection and analysis of food samples to assess hygienic and sanitary quality; inspection of health services; beauty and tattoo/piercing activities; and tobacco products and the illegal sale of smoking devices; in addition to investigating possible outbreaks in conjunction with the Health Surveillance agency.

Consumer service oversight

The Municipal Secretariat for Consumer Protection and Defense, through Procon Carioca, will be present at Rock in Rio with a team of 22 agents working to assist consumers and inspect establishments and services offered during the event.

Agents will be stationed at various points to guide the public. Inspectors will be checking prices, products, services, licenses, permits, safety conditions, emergency exits, first aid facilities, access control, and tickets.

The team will also check if the information made available to the public is clear, adequate, and conspicuous, ensuring greater safety and transparency for consumers during the event.

Actions for women's safety

The Secretariat for Policies for Women and Care (SPM-Rio) will have specialized teams throughout the festival area, in addition to awareness campaigns and distribution of informational materials on prevention and support channels. The Secretariat will have a special operation for welcoming, guiding, and preventing violence against women. The initiative aims to raise public awareness about the different forms of violence against women, reinforce the importance of prevention, and publicize ways to seek help, highlighting the Mulher.Rio platform. During the festival, SPM-Rio will have 65 professionals per day, including psychologists, social workers, lawyers, mobilizers, coordinators, and support staff. The team will be distributed throughout the event space, ensuring an active presence throughout the operation and prepared to welcome women who are experiencing harassment and/or violence, offering guidance and emergency referrals.

Improving the quality of lighting in the Olympic Park and surrounding area.

Two months in advance, RioLuz carried out a task force to guarantee the safety and quality of lighting in and around the Olympic Park during Rock in Rio. The work involved the inspection of over 200 light poles, 60 light points within the park, 15 control panels and totems, as well as preventative maintenance on more than 12 streets and avenues in the area. Teams also modernized eight light fixtures near the lake and installed 10 new LED projectors. In total, professionals were mobilized with high-profile bucket trucks and cranes, totaling 2.160 hours of work dedicated to preparing the Olympic Park for the festival. Throughout the event, RioLuz will maintain teams on call 24 hours a day to respond to any incidents and ensure the lighting remains operational.

Category:

• CET-Rio
• City
• Comlurb
• COR
• Municipal guard
• Mobi-Rio
• News
• Public Order
• Women's Protection Policies
• Consumer Protection and Defense
• Rioluz
• Riotur
• Health Insurance
• Transportation

August 27th, 2026

Appointments: Rock City LAUGH Rock in Rio