Put the popcorn away. The Brazilian media pool "O Momento da Decisão" (roughly, The Moment of Decision) announced on Tuesday (8) the cancellation of two debates set for next week: the presidential encounter on September 14 and the São Paulo state government debate on September 18. The reason is plain: after the September 7 deadline passed, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers' Party) and Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) never confirmed attendance at the presidential debate, and Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos) did not confirm for the state race, according to Folha de S.Paulo and the pool's own statement.
The group gathers 11 outlets: CNN Brasil, Exame, Metrópoles, Nova Brasil FM, Rádio Itatiaia, RedeTV!, Rede Vida, SBT, SBT News, Terra and VEJA+ TV. According to the pool, it is the largest partnership ever formed among Brazilian media companies to stage election debates. September 7, a national holiday for Brazil's Independence Day, was the final date for invited candidates to say yes or no.
It was not for lack of takers. For the presidential debate, Augusto Cury (Avante), Renan Santos (Missão), Ronaldo Caiado (PSD) and Romeu Zema (Novo) had said yes. For the São Paulo debate, the campaign of Fernando Haddad (Workers' Party) had announced his attendance. The pool thanked those five campaigns and the production teams.
In the official note, released by CNN Brasil, one of the group's members, the outlets kept their composure:
"The decision does not change the conviction that electoral debates are fundamental instruments of the democratic process, as they allow voters to directly know and compare the proposals, positions and visions of the candidates, in a common environment subject to the same rules and to adversarial debate."
Not the first no-show of the season
Anyone following this telenovela has seen the episode before. The first presidential debate of the 2026 election, broadcast by Band on August 23, had only three participants: Ronaldo Caiado, Renan Santos and Augusto Cury. Lula and Flávio, described by Folha as the leaders in the polls, did not show up, and Zema was also absent that night. São Paulo is Brazil's biggest state, and the country votes in October.
Where to watch
For now, nowhere: both events are off. Had they happened, viewers would have watched on free-to-air TV on SBT, RedeTV! and Rede Vida, on cable TV on CNN Brasil and SBT News, on radio on Nova Brasil FM and Rádio Itatiaia, and online on Terra and Metrópoles. The pool says its election coverage remains "broad, plural and independent" across all 11 outlets. The popcorn stays in the cupboard for now.