Key Details of Panama’s Black Friday or Black Weekend Event that Happened October 2 to 4 in 2026.

The Panama Black Weekend is an annual commercial and shopping tourism event, and the most recent edition took place from October 2 to 4, 2026.

• Participating Locations: 16 major shopping malls and centers across Panama City and the interior of the country.

• Stores and Brands: Over 3,000 participating stores and 20,000 brands offering discounts of up to 70% on fashion, technology, beauty products, footwear, and jewelry.

• Tourism Focus: The event drew international shoppers from countries like Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia, Ecuador, and Guatemala, taking advantage of Panama’s low 7% tax rate.

• Security & Oversight: The Panama National Police deployed roughly 1,000 officers for foot patrols, vehicle rounds, and mall monitoring.  ACODECO (the Consumer Protection and Competition Authority) monitored store advertising and price compliance.

Traffic in Shopping Centers Grew by Up to 25% During Black Weekend.

Shopping centers reported traffic increases of up to 25%, along with favorable sales performance and a greater presence of international tourists.  Visitor traffic at shopping centers participating in Panama Black Weekend 2026 increased between 3% and 25 % compared to a regular fortnight weekend, according to measurements reported by establishments that provided comparable data.  The event, held from October 2 to 4 , was also accompanied by favorable sales performance reported by businesses during the three days, according to the balance presented by the Panamanian Association of Shopping Centers (Apacecom).  The results show differences between shopping centers, according to their location and profile.

Among the establishments that provided percentage measurements comparable to a regular weekend, traffic increases ranged approximately between 3% and 25%.  Additionally, one of the shopping centers that compared its results with the 2025 edition reported a cumulative growth of 27.1%. This figure corresponds to the specific measurement of that establishment and does not represent the consolidated growth of Panama Black Weekend.  Over the three days, activity was observed in various retail categories, including fashion, footwear, electronics, appliances, food, and entertainment. Retail reports also reflected positive sales performance.

Increased Presence of Tourists.

The 2026 edition also registered the presence of international visitors, especially in shopping centers with greater connectivity, strategic location and tourist vocation.  Individual reports from some centers estimated that tourists accounted for between 4% and 10% of their traffic, depending on the characteristics of each establishment.  Apacecom clarified that these figures correspond to individual estimates and do not constitute a consolidated percentage of tourists out of the total visitors of the Panama Black Weekend.  The participation of international visitors is linked to the promotional strategy developed together with Promtur to position the event and Panama in international markets as a shopping destination.

Impact Beyond Shopping Malls.

The activity generated during Black Weekend also reached other sectors linked to consumption and tourism. The influx of domestic and international visitors extended to hotels, restaurants, transportation, airlines, entertainment, tour operators, and other services.  In the case of international tourists, travel-related expenses can include, in addition to shopping, accommodation, food, transportation, and entertainment and tourism activities.  The domestic consumer also contributed to the dynamics of these sectors through their mobilization during the three days of the event. 

For Apacecom, these results show an evolution of Panama Black Weekend beyond a commercial campaign, by combining the movement of local consumers with the arrival of international visitors.  The association noted that one of the next challenges will be to strengthen the measurement of results, incorporating information on traffic, commercial behavior and origin of visitors, as well as, when available, transactional data and other indicators that allow for a more accurate assessment of the event’s economic impact. The 2026 balance thus reflects increased traffic in shopping centers, reported growth in sales and presence of international tourists , although the available figures correspond to individual measurements of the establishments and not to a consolidated result of the entire event.