Brazil's first presidential debate of the 2026 election, hosted by TV network Band starting at 8 p.m. this Sunday (Aug. 23) at its studios in Morumbi, in São Paulo's south zone, will feature only three candidates on stage: Ronaldo Caiado (PSD), Renan Santos (Missão) and Augusto Cury (Avante). According to Folha de S.Paulo, it is the smallest field for an opening debate since 1989, when Brazilian broadcasters began holding such events as the country returned to democracy.
The absences dominate the spotlight. President Lula (PT, the Workers' Party) and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), the two frontrunners in the polls, had already declined to attend. On Sunday, Romeu Zema (Novo), a former governor of Minas Gerais, also pulled out, blaming the absence of the two favorites and a change of date — the debate had originally been scheduled for Aug. 16 and was pushed back a week in an attempt to accommodate Lula, according to Poder360.
"The change of date of the debate promoted by Rede Bandeirantes from Aug. 16 to Aug. 23 had been considered under the premise and expectation that candidate Lula would take part, ensuring the plurality of the event. Given the absence of Lula and other contenders, the date change lost its initial purpose," Zema's campaign said in a statement.
According to Poder360, Lula's team believes the president would be the main target of his rivals on stage and says he is focused on the campaign and government duties — the tendency is for him to prioritize higher-rated debates later in the race. Flávio Bolsonaro, in turn, conditioned his participation in debates on Lula's presence: without the Workers' Party candidate, his campaign calculates, the senator would absorb the attacks of everyone else.
Polls and a barred candidate
The numbers help explain the empty stage. In a Datafolha poll released Friday (21), Lula leads first-round voting intentions with 39%, followed by Flávio Bolsonaro with 33%. Caiado has 5%, Renan Santos 4%, Zema 3% and Cury 2% — combined, the three candidates taking the stage on Sunday account for just 11 percentage points. Pablo Marçal (PRTB) was never even invited: on Thursday (20), the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) unanimously barred him from debates, public campaign funding and free TV airtime until the court rules on the validity of his candidacy registration, Folha reported.
Zema's withdrawal carries its own cost. According to Folha's Painel column, the debate was one of the few chances for the former governor to appear on television, since his Novo party has no right to free electoral airtime — his invitation was a concession by the broadcaster, not a legal obligation.
Reactions
The three confirmed candidates pushed back against the no-shows. Caiado said he "won't back down even for a train loaded with dynamite" and added: "I'll be there." Renan Santos called the situation "a shame," saying that "from right to left, everyone is uncommitted." Arriving at the studios, the Missão candidate held up diapers bearing the names of Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro, called both men "criminals who do business with organized crime" and said their absence proved cowardice. About Zema, he quipped: "I didn't even remember him."
The thin field contrasts with history. The first televised debate between Brazilian presidential candidates, also promoted by Band in July 1989, featured names such as Paulo Maluf, Mario Covas and Lula himself — as well as a young congressman named Ronaldo Caiado, a link between two elections 37 years apart, according to images from Folha's archive.