The 2026 Carnival was inevitably impacted by the bad weather that swept the center of the country, which forced the cancellation of many initiatives planned for one of the most festive times at the beginning of the year.
Data from Reduniq, released this Tuesday, February 24th, reveal that in the ten municipalities most associated with carnival celebrations, the turnover fell 8.1% between February 14th and 17th 2026, compared to the same period last year. REDUNIQ Insights is a UNICRE report that analyzes the evolution of card payments across its national network.
“Among the municipalities analyzed, Estarreja recorded the biggest drop in revenue (-17.1%), followed by Sesimbra (-10.6%), Torres Vedras (-9%), Loulé (-8.9%), Sines (-8.5%) and Alcobaça (-8.4%). Madeira showed a drop of 7.2%, while Mealhada recorded a negative variation of 7.8%. Ovar showed a more moderate drop (-1.5%) Macedo de Cavaleiros was the only municipality to keep its revenue practically stable (+0.1%)”, says Reduniq in a statement sent to newsrooms.
In terms of average spending per card, Madeira showed the sharpest drop (-12.2%), standing at 70.25 euros.
Torrres Vedras stood out positively, registering an increase of 12.9%, to 47.21 euros. In the average ticket, Sines recorded the biggest drop (-14.7%), to 23.95 euros, while Torres Vedras once again showed positive evolution (+6.2%), to 27.86 euros.
Analysis by card origin shows that national consumption continued to be predominant in most municipalities, with weights exceeding 90% in many of them.
Even so, the destinations with the greatest tourist vocation maintained a relevant presence of foreign consumption, namely Madeira (31.7%) and Loulé (21%).
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