Sao Paulo Carnival 2024

Carnival São Paulo 2024

Sao Paulo Carnival is one of the world’s most colourful carnival events and takes place each year on the weekend before Ash Wednesday. In São Paulo, celebrations begin on Carnival Friday and continue through until Tuesday. The nonstop party attracts thousands of overseas visitors.

• Visiting for Carnival? Stay in the Jardin/Cerqueira César neighbourhood, home to the city’s best hotels and restaurants and just a short ride from the gay bars and clubs.

Top Gay Circuit Carnival Events in Sao Paulo

• Feb 9th to 12th, 2024 – SuperFestas Carnival Sao Paulo Circuit Weekend – One of the biggest party promoters running events for 4 days and nights with signature parties including the world-famous “Bigger” circuit night.
• Feb 10th to 12th, 2024 – Here come the bears! Ursound Club presents two different parties, popular with bears, cubs, chasers and admirers, plus a Bear Block Party on Sunday.
• Feb 11th, 2024 – FRESH brings the best pool-party vibes to Sao Paulo for a very special Carnival edition from 5 pm until 8 am!
• Awaiting Dates – Say goodbye to Sao Paulo Carnival at the biggest event of the celebrations, The Jungle Party, an all-day event frunning from midday to 1 am.
• Awaiting Dates – Komplexo Tempo in the Mocco neighbourhood hosts Matinee’s PERVERT Party featuring the hottest dancers, an epic stage production and superstar Matinee DJs.
• Awaiting Dates – Club HIGH, Sao Paulo’s spectacular gay night club presents three days of international circuit parties including the world-famous WE Party from Madrid.
• Stay close to Sao Paulo’s gay bars, and tourist attractions at the Novotel Sao Paulo, featuring spacious rooms, highly-rated breakfasts and friendly staff.

The Sambadrome

• Feb 9th – 11th, 2024 – The famous carnival parades and competitions take place at the Anhembi Sambadrome, one of the largest outdoor venues for major events in the city of São Paulo in Brazil. It opened in 1991, and has a capacity of 103,200 people.
• Traditionally the competitive spirit of the Carnival reaches a climax on Ash Wednesday when the judges read out the scores and decide on the winning team.
• To watch the main parade at the Sambadrome on Friday and Saturday tickets are available in the bleachers or grandstands, going up in price for a private box with 25 seats.
• Tickets can be purchased at stadiums around the city or via the Samba School official page.
• The most competitive day of street Carnival everywhere is usually the Saturday of Carnival. Most spectators are avid supporters of a particular samba school, much like the loyalty towards Brazil’s soccer teams.

São Paulo Carnival Gay Events

While all eyes are focused on the Anhembi Sambadrome, many other events go on late into the night.

• “Minhoqueens,” is a street Carnival group that celebrates drag queens in their parade with a lot of gay divas and pop music coming from its DJs’ pickup trucks. The group is not focused only on Carnival, but in throwing parties and events throughout the whole year with a motto of seeking inclusion and recognition to the LGBT community.
• Another parade, thrown by the Sexual Diversity Museum of São Paulo group “Será que é?”, which roughly translates as “Is he gay?” has the mission of mixing the joy and fun of Carnival along with the concepts of inclusion and a culture of peace and respect of all LGBT people.

Gay Block Parties

• The neighborhood of Bixiga, the Italian neighbourhood located within the Bela Vista district in downtown Sao Paulo has one of the best street parties you will ever see since it is home to many samba enthusiasts and has one of the best samba schools in the city, Vai-Vai.
• Bixiga offers a diverse set of dining options, cafes, museums, open-air markets, and Samba Schools.
• The Bloco da Diversidade – São Paulo’s gay groups are well-known for their pre-Carnival parades and some of them take a piece of the city to call their own. The same association that organizes the Sao Paulo Pride Parade, also throws a fun post-Carnival street event.  The Bloco da Diversidade or the Gay Block party takes place in the Largo Do Arouche, the heart of the gay district, on the 9th of March.
• There are more than 30 different gay block parties happening across the city on the final week of Carnival, many with famous hosts from the gay scene in Sao Paulo, – drag queens, djs and cult empresarios. Bloco Sereianos, Festa Lunática, Gambiarra being some of the most attended.

Gay São Paulo, Neighbourhoods & Where to Stay

The best part of town to stay in is Jardin, with all the shops on your doorstep and the gay bars and clubs nearby.

Frei Caneca / Consolação

• Known locally as Gay Caneca, this gaybourhood is full of gay and gay friendly venues and is situated between the bustling Avenida Paulista and the uber gay Shopping Frei Caneca. Most of the city’s gay nightlife revolves around this district, especially at Aloka Club, one of the longest running in the city.
• Opened 21 years ago, A Lôca today hosts several well-known parties, such as Grind on Sundays that brings crowds together to listen to rock, pop and 1980s music. Drag queen attractions are held occasionally on Thursdays and Sundays.
• Stay close to Frei Caneca at the Hotel Ca’d’Oro . Rooms have great views and the breakfast buffet is delicious.

Largo do Arouche / Centro

• A cheap and cheerful district, attracting all shades of the gay rainbow, from Bears to Transsexuals, everyone is welcome. Largo do Arouche is a section of the greater Downtown area (known as Centro). Mainstay club, Danger Dance Club, is a popular spot and home to EDM drinks, drag queens and muscle guys.
• You will find the party starts late and continues well into the night, spilling out on the the street at Avenida de Carvalho, especially outside gay bars Soda Pop and Caneca de Prata.

Pinheiros

• Pinheiros is an up and coming district, popular with hipsters and younger gay guys. The neighbourhood is home to a popular Saturday outdoor fair at Praça Benedito Calixto.
• Bubu Lounge draws a large crowd, especially during the weekend. It is considered by many as one of the three best LGBT clubs in São Paulo.

Bela Vista

• Bela Vista centers on charming Bixiga, or Little Italy, with plenty of homey trattorias and pizza parlors along and around Rua Treze de Maio. From here, narrow streets lead to the wide Avenida Paulista, the city’s economic and commercial nerve center, lined with fashion boutiques, stylish cafes and cultural hotspots, including the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), in a striking concrete-and-glass structure
• Stay at the Melia Paulista, famous for its warm welcome and high attention to detail and just steps from some of the city’s top attractions.
• The neighbourhood is home to Club Yacht, a bright & upbeat LGBT nightclub with nautical décor & waiters dressed as sailors. On Wednesdays, the club hosts its famous Lux party, with a focus on pop from as far back as the 1980s as well as today’s hits. Saturdays are for electronic music, ranging from EDM to House music for the Shout party. The entrance fee is one of the highest among LGBT bars in the city.
• Bubu Lounge plays mostly electronic music and retro, with the exceptions of Saturdays where a band plays Brazilian Popular Music (MPB).

Jardins / Cerqueira César

• Jardins / Cerqueira César – Our preferred place to stay, this district is across from Avenida Paulista and home to upscale restaurants, chic fashion stores and several hotel options. Most are within a 15 to 20 minute walking distance from the gay hotspots in Frei Caneca.
• Spoil yourself at the Tivoli Mofarrej São Paulo, a “superb” rated 5 star hotel offering rooftop breakfasts, amazing spa treatments and understated luxury.
• The Universe Paulista is also a great option; with 4 stars it has a large outdoor pool, well equipped gym and is steps from all the bars and shops.

Recommended Hotels in Sao Paulo

The following hotels are currently trending with our readers. All are close to the city’s gay bars and major attractions:

L’Hotel PortoBay,   Tryp São Paulo,   Pergamon Hotel,   Novotel Jaraguá Hotel.