With over 11 million people living within the city, Sao Paulo is easily the largest city in Brazil and the 9th most populated city in the World.
It also offers some of the richest social and cultural experiences. Dozens of different events are held in various locations in the city all through the year. The following are some of the more popular events that you’re likely to find.
- Sao Paulo Fashion Week
The Sao Paulo Fashion week is considered to be the most important Latina America Fashion show. It is an important event in the fashion calendar and attracts thousands of visitors annually. The Sao Paulo Fashion week attracts popular designers such as Chanel, Versace as well as popular Brazilian fashion lines like Amir Slama’s Rosa Cha. The Sao Paulo Fashion week occurs twice every year: in January—when the fall collection is revealed—and June, for the spring collection.
- Sao Paulo Carnival
Brazil cities are famed for their colorful carnivals and Sao Paulo is no exception. You can enjoy the city’s dazzling street procession with hundreds of dancers and musicians. Sao Paulo’s carnival is a popular event and attracts thousands of tourists every year. You can get a better view of the event by buying tickets close to the main parade. During the carnival, you’ll find waiters selling items such as beer, soft drinks, chips and chocolates.
- Brazilian Grand Prix Formula 1
The Brazilian Grand Prix is held in Sao Paulo every year in the month of November at the Autodomo Jose Carlos Pace in Interlagos. The Brazilian Grand Prix is one of the major events in Sao Paulo and draws a lot of tourist and commerce to the city; book a hotel in Sao Paulo early, if you are coming. Not rarely, the World Championship of Formula 1 is decided in Sao Paulo.
- São Paulo Gay Pride Parade
The Sao Paulo Gay Pride parade is not just one of the biggest Sao Paulo events but also the largest of its kind in the world. It attracts over two million people every year. The parade is held annually in June and is aimed at increasing the social awareness of the discrimination and aggression towards the gay community. The procession starts at the iconic Sao Paulo Museum of Arts and is opened by the mayor of the city.
- Sao Paulo International Film Festival
The international film festival is a Sao Paulo event that is held every year in October. During this period, numerous films are screened across the city and other parts of the country. It is considered to be one of the more important film festivals in the country, alongside the festivals of Rio and Brasilia.
- March for Jesus
The March for Jesus parade is an annual event organized by the Renascer em Cristo Church. It is held on Thursday after Trinity Sunday (Corpus Christi). Millions of people participate in the March for Jesus every year. During the evangelical parade, live band lead the way with Christian music. The parade also features live performances on flatbed trucks. If you stay in North Zone of São Paulo during the parade, beware: transit is seriously affected.
- Festival of Electronic Art
The festival of electronic art is a bi-annual event designed to bring different artists around the world together. It includes displayed works from prominent as well as aspiring electronic artists. The festival gives artists the opportunity to showcase some of their work, sell artwork, get engaged in constructive debates and set new standards for contemporary art.
Sao Paulo could not fail to be one of the host cities of the FIFA World Cup, in 2014. A new stadium is being built to stage the matches. Sao Paulo is unlikely to stage the major matches, but with the largest infrastructure of telecommunications, hotels and hospitals in Brazil, it is certain to attract a large crowd of football fans and the media staff.