January 1: Mayors and councilors elected in 2020 take office in more than 5,000 Brazilian municipalities. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the ceremonies were broadcast without guests.[2]
January 6: The first case of the Gamma Variant of SARS-CoV-2, also known as the Manaus variant, is detected in four people who arrived in Tokyo after visiting the Amazonas region of Brazil four days prior.[3]
Tendencias Consultoria, a consultant company focused on the economy, warns of food shortages in isolated areas, particularly in the favelas and quilombos, as the government ends emergency aid.[10]
Operation Car Wash ends with 174 convictions in Brazil, 12 current or former presidents implicated across Latin America, and $790 million returned to Brazil's public coffers, with nearly $2.8 billion more on the way.[15]
February 22: Stock prices of Petrobras fall 21%, as investors worry that the appointment of General Joaquim Silva e Luna as head of the company means that economic decisions will be made based on politics.[25]
A child named Henry Borel is murdered in Barra da Tijuca, inside the apartment of his mother Monique Medeiros and his stepfather Jairo Souza, a councilor and doctor. Both are suspected of having caused his death.[31][32]
June 28: After 20 days of searching, serial killer Lázaro Barbosa was arrested in Goiás after being shot by police. He was then taken by ambulance by police, but ended up dying shortly. [69][70]
June 30: A severe cold wave hits Brazil. The phenomenon is caused by a polar vortex, an extratropical cyclone, and the subtropical storm Raoni. Subsequently, 13 people die as a result of the weather event.[71][72]
August 30: At least 20 heavily armed bandits cause a series of crimes during the early hours of the morning in Araçatuba, São Paulo. The criminals burned vehicles, blew up three banks, used hostages as human shields, and exchanged fire with police for more than two hours. Two people are killed and at least six are injured.[80]
August 31: RedeTV! employees decide to go on strike, due to a lack of salary adjustment, which hasn't happened since 2018.[81]
September 14: Seven people die after a small plane crashes in Piracicaba, São Paulo. Among the victims are businessman Celso Silveira Mello Filho, his wife, and the couple's three children. The pilot and co-pilot are also among the victims.[86]
Almost nine years later, the trial begins for those accused of the tragedy at the Kiss nightclub, which left 242 victims. Among the accused are the nightclub owners Elissandro Spohr and Mauro Hoffmann; and members of the band who played the night of the incident, musician Marcelo de Jesus dos Santos and producer Luciano Bonilha.[95]
December 24: A bus accident on BR-153, in Aparecida de Goiânia, kills six people and injures 40. The vehicle fell into a stream, after hitting a car and truck on the highway.[97]
January 11 - Disney Latin America decides to cancel all programs of Fox Sports channels in Brazil. The programming grid is now composed only of live or replayed sporting events.[101]
Selena Gomez launches the video for the song Baila Conmigo, recorded on a beach in the municipality of Icapuí, Ceará, and directed by the Brazilian Fernando Nogari.[109]
February 13-14 - Because of the cancellation of carnival, Globo shows the special Desfile Nº 1 Brahma, replaying each 14 day parades of samba schools anthological of the carnival of São Paulo and of the carnival of Rio de Janeiro.[113]
February 19 - Singer Thiaguinho releases his new album Infinito 2021, Vol. 1.[114]
February 20 - Debut of the reality show Bake Off Celebridades on SBT.[115]
March 22 - Premiere of the TV program Vem Pra Cá at SBT.[127]
March 23 - With the worsening of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, Globo once again interrupts the production of its dramaturgical works at Estúdios Globo.[128]
March 24 -
Premiere of the talk show Posso Explicar at National Geographic.[129]
Premiere of the TV series Onde Está Meu Coração on Globoplay.[141]
Globo changes the night program schedule and re-displays 220 Volts Especial de Fim de Ano in honor of comedian Paulo Gustavo, who died of complications from COVID-19 that same night.[142]
With 90.15% of the votes, makeup artist and lawyer Juliette Freire is the winner of the 21st edition of the popular reality show Big Brother Brasil.[142]
May 8 — Globo shows the TV special BBB - Dia 101.[143]
May 9 — Premiere of the fifth season of the reality show Power Couple Brasil on RecordTV.[144]