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In short: Updated on October 28, 2026. As of this date, the official schedule published is Panama City's: parades on Tuesday, November 3 at 9:00 a.m. and Wednesday, November 4 at 8:00 a.m., on two routes (Casco Antiguo and Vía España), with closures from 6:00 a.m. Coclé, Herrera, Los Santos and Veraguas canceled theirs. For November 5 in Colón, November 10 and November 28, no schedule is confirmed. Contents Which parades and what time Routes and participants Street closures and detours Safety and live coverage Other November parades Is November 4 a holiday? FAQ Sources Which parades take place on…

In short: As of October 13, 2026, the music event with a confirmed date, venue and ticket seller for January 2027 in Panama is the Panama Jazz Festival, running January 14 to 16, with a gala by Paquito D'Rivera and Danilo Pérez on January 14 at the Teatro Ateneo. No concerts have an open listing for February 2027 on the ticket sites checked. A "Pachanga Latin Fest" in Panama with a date or ticket sale could not be found either. This guide covers only what is confirmed and does not repeat the concerts left in 2026 calendar. Contents of this…

In short: Panama's 2027 Carnival covers the four days before Ash Wednesday, which falls on February 10: Saturday, February 6, through Tuesday, February 9, 2027. Only Tuesday, February 9, is a public holiday by law under article 46 of the Labor Code, and anyone who works that day earns a 150 percent surcharge. Monday, February 8, is a normal working day in the private sector unless the employer agrees otherwise. As of this note, checked on October 13, 2026, neither the Tourism Authority nor local organizing committees have published the 2027 program. In this guide The four days Holiday and…

In short: as of 13 October 2026, the only year-end plan confirmed in Panama is the New Year's Eve party on 31 December listed in the Panama City Mayor's Office Christmas agenda, with no venue or program published yet. Hotel parties, concerts that night, Metro hours and traffic measures have no announcement for this year. Fireworks rules exist on paper, but there is no new national measure for 2026. Contents of this guide What is confirmed, with dates Fireworks: what the rules and firefighters say Hotels, dinners and concerts on 31 December What opens, what closes and how to get…

In short: Panama City's Christmas season officially opens on Sunday, December 6, 2026, with the tree lighting at Mirador Pacífico on the Cinta Costera, and the Christmas parade follows on Saturday, December 12, along the same waterfront rather than on Calle 50. The Panama City Mayor's Office announced both on October 7, 2026, as part of the City of Star 2026 International Christmas Festival. Checked on October 13, 2026; start times have not been published. What this guide covers The confirmed dates The festival calendar in one table Where the lights go on The parade on the Cinta Costera Outside…

In short: December 2026 has four mandatory rest days in Panama: Tuesday the 8th (Mother's Day), Sunday the 20th (national mourning), Monday the 21st (the 20th carried over because it falls on a Sunday) and Friday the 25th (Christmas). The 24th and the 31st, both Thursdays, are not holidays. The long weekends that come automatically run from Saturday the 19th to Monday the 21st and from Friday the 25th to Sunday the 27th. As of October 13, 2026, no decree makes Monday the 7th a day off and turns the 8th into a bridge. Updated in October 2026. Contents of…

In short: Black Friday 2026 falls on Friday, November 27, the day after US Thanksgiving, and Panama follows the same date. Saturday, November 28 is a national holiday in Panama, so this year the sales day sits right next to a holiday. As of October 5, 2026, no nationwide Black Friday campaign has been officially announced. The local sales event, Panamá Black Weekend, already took place from October 2 to 4. Contents of this guide When Black Friday is in Panama Black Friday vs. Panamá Black Weekend Key dates and November holidays Consumer rights Online shopping and mail forwarders Checklist…

Update, 16 October 2026: the Panama Motor Show 2026 has ended (it closed on Sunday 11 October). This note is kept as a record of what the fair offered. In short: the Panama Motor Show reopened on Wednesday 7 October at 2:00 p.m. and ran until Sunday 11 at the Panama Convention Center in Amador, after pausing on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6. From Wednesday to Friday it opened from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., on Saturday from 12 noon to 9:00 p.m. and on Sunday, the last day, from 12 noon to 7:00 p.m., according to Panatickets, the official…

In short: November 2026 brings five national dates in Panama: Tuesday 3 (Separation from Colombia), Wednesday 4 (National Symbols Day), Thursday 5 (Consolidation of the Separation, celebrated in Colón), Tuesday 10 (First Cry of Independence in La Villa de Los Santos) and Saturday 28 (Independence from Spain). Four are mandatory rest days under Article 46 of the Labour Code: 3, 5, 10 and 28. The 4th is not a public holiday for private companies, although the Government usually closes public offices and schools. None falls on a Sunday, so there are no automatic transfers; the 28th, falling on a Saturday,…

Show hours: Wednesday to Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Saturdays from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m.; Sundays from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m. Closed on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 October. In short: the Panama Motor Show 2026 opens in two blocks, from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October and from Wednesday 7 to Sunday 11, at the Panama Convention Center in Amador. There is no show on Monday 5 or Tuesday 6. On weekdays and Fridays it opens from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., on Saturdays from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 12:00 to…

In short: a tourist can drive in Panama on their home-country licence for 90 days and cannot obtain a Panamanian licence, under the Traffic Regulations of Executive Decree 640 of 2006. Anyone who obtains immigration status must validate their foreign licence, once only, at Sertracen, the only entity authorised to issue licences: it takes the valid physical licence, a certification from the issuing authority apostilled or legalised, the immigration card or E cédula, blood type and a vision and hearing check. The licence lasts up to four years, two for those over 70, costs 40 balboas, a price unchanged since…