President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will open his bid for a fourth term on Sunday, August 16, 2026, in São Bernardo do Campo, an industrial suburb of São Paulo. The event will take place at the Vila Euclides stadium, a site where Lula led a metalworkers’ strike nearly 50 years ago during Brazil’s military dictatorship. The stadium’s historical resonance with labour activism is intended to reinforce his image as a long‑time defender of workers.
The campaign’s slogan, "O Brasil pronto para mais" (Brazil ready for more), frames Lula’s pitch as a continuation of progress he says began after the turbulent administration of Jair Bolsonaro. Allies claim they inherited a government in disarray, reorganized the executive branch, and argue that a second Lula term will enable more substantive advances.
Lula’s speech will focus on national sovereignty, criticizing what he describes as US interference in Brazilian politics and referencing recent tariff disputes. Allies say this line of attack aims to wear down his principal opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro—son of the former president and a PL‑RJ senator perceived as close to Donald Trump.
A significant portion of the address will target younger voters. Qualitative research accessed by Lula’s team indicates that this cohort views the president as a traditional politician, part of the established "system." To counter that perception, Lula plans to highlight his early‑career rebel image as a unionist and a founding member of the Workers’ Party (PT).
He also intends to appeal to voters over 60, a bloc that has grown steadily since 2010 and now represents roughly 14 % of the electorate. Recognizing potential mobility challenges, Lula will stress the need for strong incentives to encourage turnout among older citizens.
Social policies will feature prominently, with Lula asserting that his administrations have made significant gains in health and education while acknowledging that further improvements are needed. The speech is expected to be concise, unlike his lengthy convention address in early August that drove part of the audience away.
First lady Janja Lula da Silva is slated to speak, breaking with expectations of a low‑profile role. Janja has acted as a spokesperson on issues such as violence against women and wields influence over cultural policy. Other speakers will include Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Fernando Haddad, the PT’s candidate for governor of São Paulo.
Lula’s electoral history includes unsuccessful runs in 1989, 1994, and 1998, victorious campaigns in 2002, 2006, and 2022, and a barred candidacy in 2018 after a imprisonment conviction prevented him from campaigning. A recent Quaest poll released on August 14 shows Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro technically tied in a hypothetical second‑round scenario, with Lula at 43 % and Bolsonaro at 40 %, a difference within the poll’s two‑point margin of error.
Archival footage of past strikes at Vila Euclides will be shown on the stadium’s big screen, and Lula’s team acknowledges he may deviate from his prepared remarks and improvise, as he has done on multiple occasions.