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Bookmark & shareLike all Brazilians, Paulistanos know how to party - as you'll see if you happen to be in town while there's a festival going on. While Carnaval is celebrated, and parties are held across the city, it's not the high point of São Paulo's festive calendar: this title would have to go to either the Bienal de São Paulo or São Paulo Pride. The Bienal is held every even-numbered year at Parque Ibirapuera from October through to December, and is considered the most important artistic event in Latin America. The week-long Pride festival takes place in mid-June, and attracts nearly three million people. Besides a mind-bogglingly huge street parade, there are political meetings, fairs, concerts and all sorts of nocturnal events.
Other Sampa-based festivities include the Virada Cultural, held in late April or early May, which is a non-stop, 24-hour party involving city-wide cultural and musical events. Every weekend in August, the Festa de Nossa Senhora Achiropita celebrates the city's Italian heritage in a series of street fairs in Bixiga, the traditional Italian neighborhood.
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