Ubatuba
This wildly popular rock, blues and jazz venue is consistently voted the best live-music spot on the Paulista coast.
Must-see entertainment in Brazil
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.
Flamengo & Around
At night this broad, rustically decorated dining hall forms the backdrop to Brazilian rhythms, and there's a broad menu of Northeastern fare. Groups…
Ipanema & Leblon
For a look at Brazil's rich folkloric dances, book a ticket to an evening performance of Ginga Tropical. Some 16 different dance styles are represented,…
Natal
Natal gained the futuristic and intimate 31,375-seat Arena das Dunas, located about halfway between the city center and Ponta Negra, for its four group…
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…
Natal
While it's a bit too polished to be much of a cultural experience, this popular spot in Ponta Negra pulls a crowd across several age brackets with live…
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…
Flamengo & Around
This hypermodern cultural center and gallery space also stages dance performances and concerts. The fare is generally non-mainstream. For upcoming shows,…
Natal
One of Natal's two main football clubs, América is currently mired in the lower divisions of Brazilian football but still play their home games in the…
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…
Natal
ABC is one of Natal's two main football sides – they are currently playing in the lower divisions of Brazilian professional football. They play most home…
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…
Santa Teresa & Lapa
Lapa's splendidly restored early 20th-century gem hosts orchestral concerts throughout the year. Lately the repertoire has included contemporary groups,…
Ipanema & Leblon
This nicely located theater shows a mix of drama, cutting-edge and children's performances on three different stages. In front of the same complex is an…
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…
Santa Teresa & Lapa
This small, single-screen theater is well located on Largo do Guimarães. Befitting the art-loving 'hood, the cinema screens a selection of independent and…
Ipanema & Leblon
Located across from Ipanema Beach, this small center stages plays and hosts classical and other live-music styles. It also has art exhibition openings and…
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…
Brasília
Brasília's monolithic multiuse stadium, extensively renovated for the 2014 World Cup, holds nearly 77,000 spectators. It can be toured on Saturdays from…
Flamengo & Around
The screening room located behind the dramatic Museu da República shows contemporary and vintage films of indie and world cinema. Entrance is via the…
Rio de Janeiro
UCI – New York City Center is Brazil's largest megaplex, featuring 18 different screening rooms complete with large, comfortable chairs and stadium…
Rio de Janeiro
A high-quality six-screen cinema that shows a wide variety of fare. You can linger before or after the film at the cafe, bookstore or various snack…
Ipanema & Leblon
Across from the beach in Ipanema, this small center stages plays, screens films and hosts art exhibitions. The atrium cafe is a pleasant spot for a bite.
Rio de Janeiro
Facing the Praça Tiradentes, the large Teatro Carlos Gomes stages avant-garde dance shows and experimental theater. The theater seats 600 people.
Belém
Cine Estação has month-long runs of Brazilian and international art films, typically with screenings twice-nightly three or four days per week.
