Entertainment in The Northeast
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Praia do Jacaré
Almost every Brazilian tourist who comes to João Pessoa comes to the Rio Paraíba north of the city to hear saxophonist Jurandy play Ravel’s Bolero at sunset, which has spawned a tourism empire along the water’s edge (some come from as far away as Natal and Recife just for this). It sounds corny but it’s definitely a spectacle worth witnessing, and quite beautiful. Four overwater bars play host (try Bombardo for the added bonus of violinist Belle Soares, who plays afterwards). Arrive by 4:30pm (4pm in winter) to get a choice seat. A round-trip taxi from Tambaú (including wait time) is R$50.
reviewed
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Aeroclube Plaza Show
The young and wealthy head for Aeroclube Plaza Show, an outdoor entertainment complex with a few bars, dance clubs and free live forró nights. Inside, Rock in Rio (3461 0300; h10pm-last customer Tue-Sun) is a 1700-sq-meter dance club with eight bars that gets packed on weekends. Also in Aeroclube, Café Cancun (3461 0603; h9pm-last customer Tue-Sat) has a Mexican theme to its food and decor, and makes for a fun night of dancing and some tequila drinking.
reviewed
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John People Bar
This modern boteco (neighborhood bar) sits on prime people-watching real estate in Tambaú. There’s a front patio and breezy rooftop deck overlooking the stage elevated above the bar. Live music starts at 9:30pm and varies between forrópé-da-serra, a slower form of forró, on Tuesday, MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) by a Dave Matthews-esque power trio from Wednesday to Friday and samba on Saturday. A 2500ml tube of chope (draft beer) here runs R$28 – saúde !
reviewed
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Clube Finlândia
There is now only a sprinkling of Finns among the assortment of Brazilian people, but they all get together for traditional Finnish letkiss and jenkkas dances at Clube Finlândia every Saturday night. Finnish dancing lessons are open to the public starting at 9pm. At 10:30pm a local troupe presents a 40-minute traditional dance performance in Old World getup, then the dance floor is reopened to everyone for the rest of the night.
reviewed
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Sancho Music Club
The Alto de Ponta Negra neighborhood in the upper part of Ponta Negra, around Rua Manoel AB de Araújo and Rua Aristides Porpino Filho, is dense with a variety of bars, though most are almost cringingly steeped in sex tourism, a major problem in Natal. Sancho Music Club, with tapas and chope is one of the less slimy spots. This area, especially around Centro Comercial O Jardim, is packed from Wednesday to Saturday nights.
reviewed
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Rastapé
The Alto de Ponta Negra neighborhood in the upper part of Ponta Negra, around Rua Manoel AB de Araújo and Rua Aristides Porpino Filho, is dense with a variety of bars, though most are almost cringingly steeped in sex tourism, a major problem in Natal. Rastapé here, famous for live forró, is one of the less slimy spots. This area, especially around Centro Comercial O Jardim, is packed from Wednesday to Saturday nights.
reviewed
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Engarrafamento
The name means ‘traffic jam, ’ and that’s just what you’ll get at the door of this fun middle-class venue for live pagode (popular samba music), Música Popular Brasileira (MPB), forró and pop/rock. It looks little more than a restaurant from the outside, but inside it’s near disco-like, teeming with cool kids knocking back buckets of cheap Skol and picking at tasty bar food. Worth the R$15 taxi fare, especially on Sundays.
reviewed
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Clube Finlandês
There is now only a sprinkling of Finns among the assortment of Brazilian people, but they all get together for traditional Finnish letkiss and jenkiss dances here every Saturday night. Finnish dancing lessons are open to the public starting at 21:00. At 22:30 a local troupe presents a 40-minute traditional dance performance in Old World get up, then the dance floor is reopened to everyone for the rest of the night.
reviewed
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Boteco
Like most Brazilian cities, the boteco (Brazilian neighborhood bar) culture usually rules the nightlife and, though a chain, the obviously-named Boteco packs in the Recifenses. We’re not sure what whips through faster, the ocean breezes or the waiters loaded down with chope and Brazilian bar munchies such as picanha (choice beef cuts) and savory pesticos (bar snacks). It’s very hard to say no.
reviewed
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Rock in Rio
The young and wealthy head for Aeroclube Plaza Show (Av Otávio Mangabeira, Boca do Rio), an outdoor entertainment complex with a few bars, dance clubs and free live forró nights. Rock in Rio is a 1700-sq-m dance club with eight bars that gets packed on weekends. Also in Aeroclube, Café Cancun has a Mexican theme to its food and décor, and makes for a fun night of dancing and tequila drinking.
reviewed
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Alto de Ponta Negra
The Alto de Ponta Negra , a neighborhood in the upper part of Ponta Negra, around Rua Manoel AB de Araújo and Rua Aristides Porpino Filho, away from the tackier after-dark scene nearer the beach, is dense with a variety of fun bars and restaurants. It's packed with locals and visitors having a good time till dawn, Wednesday to Saturday nights. Just wander along after 23:00 and see which places draw you in.
reviewed
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Planeta Jeri
Everything starts – and frequently ends – at Planeta Jeri, near the beach. Things don’t get going until at least 10pm, the caipirinhas (R$5) are divine, and the music runs the gamut from hip-hop to samba. Nocturnal cocktail carts parked on the street here provide an alternative source of inebriation with concoctions such as maracujaroska (passion fruit and vodka).
reviewed
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Bodega do Véio
Part small store, part bar, Olinda’s best dive serves ice-cold bottled beer and little charcuterie plates, and tries its best to manage the crowds of locals and tourists congregating on the street and the small terraces. A choro group plays here from 7:30pm most Thursday and Saturday evenings, with the former swelling to an all-out street party by 9pm.
reviewed
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Teatro Miguel Santana
Seeing a folkloric show in the Pelourinho shouldn't be missed. The shows include Afro-Brazilian dance, the dances of the orixás, maculêlê (stick dance) and capoeira, to live percussion and vocals. The most astounding professional show is put on by the world-renowned Balé Folclórico da Bahia at Teatro Miguel Santana.
reviewed
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Transilvânia & Alcatraz
Up the coast, Transilvânia & Alcatraz are clubs decorated like their namesakes. Each of these enormous venues has separate areas for axé, forró, samba or MPB and electronic music. If the party is up the coast, there are usually round-trip courtesy buses leaving from the trevo do Cabral (traffic circle at the entrance of town).
reviewed
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Café Cancun
The young and wealthy head for Aeroclube Plaza Show (Av Otávio Mangabeira, Boca do Rio), an outdoor entertainment complex with a few bars, dance clubs and free live forró nights. Also in Aeroclube, Café Cancun has a Mexican theme to its food and décor, and makes for a fun night of dancing and tequila drinking.
reviewed
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Café Pagliuca
Fortaleza’s most bohemian live venue is a sophisticated café offering jazz (Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday), tango (Thursday) and bossa jazz (Saturday) from 9pm. It also does a good feijoada with a free caipirinha on Saturdays from noon (R$23). It skews 30-something-plus and draws artists, musicians and intellectuals.
reviewed
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Decky
Stocks Brazil’s most accessible microbrews (Eisenbahn, Devassa and Baden Baden) along with live rock, blues, jazz and MPB every night from 8pm. Plop down on the massive, wind-struck patio or inside the spacious main room with air-con – it’s the most popular spot in Ponta Negra and caters across several age brackets.
reviewed
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Mucuripe Club
In addition to being the best and most stylish disco in the Northeast, Mucuripe is a mind-blowingly huge, modern, nontouristy venue with a dinner club and five different dance areas where you skirt between techno or forró, live rock and pop or jazz. If you lose a friend in here, they’ll see you tomorrow.
reviewed
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Passarela do Álcool
At night, the Passarela do Álcool has craft stalls and street performers, with live music spilling onto the plazas. Look for fresh-fruit cocktail stands making capeta (guaraná, cocoa powder, cinnamon, sweetened condensed milk and vodka), just the thing to bring a bang to the evening.
reviewed
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Pirata Bar
Long-standing Pirata is famous for its 'segunda-feira mais louca do planeta' (craziest Monday on the planet). The pirate ship-themed spot stages hours of live forró and other Brazilian rhythms for the packed crowd to dance through the night. The surrounding bars also get very lively.
reviewed
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Clube do Vaqueiro
For more of a sertão (backlands of the Northeast) experience, try this enormous, cowboy-themed forró club where five different bands play on Saturday nights. It's popular with students. The Vaqueiro is out on the city's southeast outskirts, and best reached by taxi.
reviewed
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A Casa Pub
This lively British-cum-Brazilian-style pub sits opposite Musique, with an airy verandah and live music most nights, ranging from samba and axé (a contemporary Afro-Brazilian pop style, incorporating samba, rock, soul and other influences) to forró and rock.
reviewed
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Café Alquimia
Located on the quaint cobblestoned hill leading up to Largo do Carmo (on the ground level of Hostel Cobreu), this bluesy café-bar is a happening spot for young travelers, musicians and artistic types. Arabic finger foods are on the menu alongside inexpensive cocktails and cold beer.
reviewed
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Sgt Pepper’s Rock Bar
Good for food (excellent burgers) and fun, both downtown and at its newest location in Ponta Negra, this hip bar/restaurant dreamed up the North-east caipirinha (pineapple, mint and cinnamon/clove-infused cachaça) and hosts a handle of resident pop, rock and blues acts.
reviewed
