Rio de Janeiro
One of Rio's most famous samba schools, Mangueira has many followers all across the city. They come out en masse in their green and pink (Mangueira's…
Must-see entertainment in Brazil
Recife
DJs spin MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) on vinyl at this popular outdoor concert event held every Tuesday night in the courtyard at the Galeria Joana D…
Rio de Janeiro
One of the best samba schools for foreigners to visit, Salgueiro hosts big Saturday-night parties from late August until Carnaval. Expect live music, ever…
Jericoacoara
At the top end of Rua Igreja, Maloca is a cultural center that hosts live music, film nights and other events. Its forró (popular music of the Northeast)…
Curitiba
Curitiba's best live music venue, focused on jazz, blues and MPB (Música Popular Brasileira), inside an acoustically friendly old home. Shows get going…
Búzios
Shows movies on weekend nights, including some in English with Portuguese subtitles. The adjacent cafe is a nice spot for snacks, coffee or caipirinhas…
Belo Horizonte
This Savassi club hosts an eclectic, vibrant mix of live music, from samba to blues to jazz to Afrobeat to forró to alternative rock. Live shows start…
Rio de Janeiro
This gorgeous art nouveau theater provides the setting for Rio's best opera, ballet and symphonic concerts. The theater seats 2400, and sight lines are…
Ilha Grande & Vila do Abraão
Ilha Grande's lone dance club, tucked up a hard-packed dirt side street just off Rua Getúlio Vargas, features everything from DJs to live forró, reggae…
Paraty
Now in its fifth decade, Paraty's internationally acclaimed Contadores de Estórias theater company presents puppetry, music and dance performances in this…
Paraty
With an early evening happy hour featuring MPB and bossa nova, and a late-night weekend mix of DJs and live acts, Paraty 33 is the historic center’s…
Minas Gerais
With an ever-changing film lineup (including frequent classic films in English), this small community movie theater and its attached cafe make for an…
Jericoacoara
Live band forró (popular music of the Northeast) nights here have a distinct local flavor and are usually thronged with swaying couples on the dance floor.
Salvador
For the biggest acts, keep your eye on Salvador’s finest venue, the Teatro Castro Alves. Its Concha Acústica (amphitheater) has weekly concerts throughout…
São Paulo
One of the top spots for live jazz and blues in Sampa, Bourbon Street has hosted the likes of BB King and Ray Charles. There's also occasional Sunday…
Salvador
This buzzed-about cultural center, bar and art space in Santo Antônio features live samba, samba de roda and jazz. Some events are free.
São Paulo
In addition to being the home stadium of Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, this multi-purpose stadium also hosts mega concerts and other events.
Minas Gerais
Constructed in 1893, this grand old theater in the heart of town stages occasional performances throughout the year (many free of charge).
São Paulo
Estádio do Morumbi hosts everything from rival-heavy football (soccer) matches (it's the home ground of São Paulo FC) to U2 concerts.
Rio de Janeiro State
This cozy little club in the Pequena Suécia hotel hosts live jazz concerts two or three nights a week.
Belo Horizonte
One of Savassi's most venerable dance clubs, A Obra hosts live rock and indie shows.
São Paulo
On the downtown corner made famous by Caetano Veloso's 1992 love song to São Paulo, 'Sampa,' Bar Brahma once lived a glorious life as the city's see-and…
Rio de Janeiro
This multifunctional space hosts a wide range of live music, theatrical performances, DJ sets and other cultural and community events such as art…
Rio de Janeiro
Going strong since 1934, Teatro Rival stages Música Popular Brasileira (MPB), samba, chorinho (informal instrumental music) and forró (Northeast popular…
São Luís
The biggest thing to happen in São Luís since sliced picanha (steak), this massive, architecturally stunning entertainment complex opened in 2015…
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro's landmark cinema is a remnant of the once flourishing movie-house scene that gave rise to the name Cinelândia. Following a restoration…
Brazil
Part restaurant, part bar, part cultural center, this lively place in the heart of the Cidade Baixa attracts an artsy crowd and is a great place to finish…
Rio de Janeiro
One of Rio's best-loved samba schools has won a few parade titles over the years. Vila Isabel is deeply connected to famed samba singer Martinho da Vila,…
Rio de Janeiro
This two-screen cinema in Botafogo shows a range of films – Brazilian, foreign, independent and the occasional Hollywood offering. It has a cafe inside,…
The Amazon
Large modern cinema located in a large modern shopping center 6km west of town, mostly showing dubbed Hollywood flicks and the occasional Brazilian…
Rio de Janeiro
Just around the corner from the metro, this three-screen theater shows a mix of Brazilian and foreign films. The small cafe on-site is a good place to…
Rio de Janeiro
Hidden in the lower level of a shopping complex, this small, charming cinema screens a mix of Brazilian and independent fare, as well as the odd Hollywood…
Teatro do Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
Rio de Janeiro
In addition to its exhibitions, this large cultural center in downtown Rio has two stages and a cinema. Theater, film, dance and musical events are often…
Salvador
You can find samba parties throughout the week down an alley behind the eponymous bar here. The weekly schedule changes periodically, so check the website…
Rio de Janeiro
One of the few music halls in the Zona Sul, the 500-seat Sala Municipal Baden Powell hosts a broad range of concerts throughout the year, with MPB and…
Salvador
Named after the Yoruba goddess of the sea, this Rio Vermelho cultural center occasionally has live music, especially in the weeks around Lemanjá's…
Belém
Cinépolis is a megatheater located in a megamall, with seven screens (including one for 3D showings), and super-comfy stadium seating. Weekends can be…
