What better opportunity to experience the culture of a destination, than to visit a local festival during your travels? If you are planning on visiting Brazil, and would like to enjoy a bit of music, learning and culture along with sightseeing, we recommend three very Brazilian festivals for you in popular destinations!
- Festival Folclórico de Parintins:
The festival takes place in the city of Parintins, in the state of Amazonas. It’s three days of celebration on the last weekend of June, and the party happens in the middle of the forest, on the banks of the Amazon River. The festival consists of several presentations of the history of the Boi-Bumbá, a folkloric dance of the region, performed by two associations, Boi Caprichoso and Boi Garantido, which compete each year to see who outperforms the other.
During the party, there is a competition to evaluate both associations, and this includes allegorical floats (they reach up to 25m in height!), many costumes and “toadas” (the music played during the event) chanted by huge drum ensembles! Each “boi” has their loyal fans who closely follow the 3 days of party, all of them in costume, wearing the boi’s official colors, and creating a performance of their own.
When: June 28-30, 2019
Where: Parintins – Amazonas
2. MECAInhotim
A multifaceted event that includes concerts, lectures, workshops, and exhibitions, amongst other activities and experiences, held at the Inhotim Institute – the world’s largest open-air contemporary art museum in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais state.
The festival is a great option for those who want love discovering new, alternative musical acts, artists, and storytellers.
When: May 17-19, 2019
Where: Brumadinho – Minas Gerais
3. MIMO Festival
The festival, which celebrated 15 years in 2018, began in Olinda, Pernambuco, more famously known for its Carnaval celebrations, and being a UNESCO World Heritage site, the destination is also a cultural and musical mecca in Brazil.
The festival today also happens in three other Brazilian cities: Paraty, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Initially, it was solely a music festival, but today, it also features art, cinema, poetry and educational programming.
With its musical programming dedicated to world music, instrumental music, jazz, Brazilian music and Portuguese music, MIMO Festival has brought great artists, national and international, to their stages, such as Gilberto Gil, Emicida and Herbie Hancock.
When: to be released
Where: Olinda – Pernambuco
If you’d like to attend any of these events, as well as visit the destinations surrounding the festival, get in touch with us, and we’ll help you plan your cultural adventure to Brazil!
