01Editor’s NoteThe week’s arc
This is the week São Paulo becomes the largest street party on the planet.
The Sambódromo do Anhembi desfiles are already behind us — fourteen Grupo Especial schools crossed the Passarela Adoniran Barbosa on Friday and Saturday night. But the city is only getting started. Monday brings the most anticipated bloco of the year: Pabllo Vittar’s megabloco at the Ibirapuera, with K-pop group NMIXX confirmed on the trio elétrico, and an expected crowd north of two million. Tuesday is Terça-feira de Carnaval, the official state holiday, with the Galo da Madrugada arriving from Recife to fill the Ibirapuera at dawn and dozens of blocos fanning out across every bairro in the city.
Then the pivot: Tuesday afternoon at 16h, the apuração at the Anhembi reveals which of fourteen schools will be champion. By Wednesday morning the confetti settles, Quarta-feira de Cinzas arrives, and São Paulo begins to exhale. Thursday and Friday the city snaps back with startling speed — museums reopen, restaurants fill, and the cultural calendar resumes.
This guide covers the full arc: peak Carnaval on Monday and Tuesday, the emotional verdict of the apuração on Tuesday afternoon, the decompression of Ash Wednesday, and the return to normal by Thursday and Friday. With 627 blocos registered and an expected 16.5 million foliões across the season, this is the largest Carnaval de rua in Brazil. Plan accordingly.
02The Week’s RhythmDay planner
Weather-matched recommendations. What each day is best for — plan your week around the city’s pulse.
Day
Weather
Best For
City Status
Mon 16
☀️ 33° 40%
Peak day. Bloco da Pabllo + NMIXX (2M+ expected), 13h, Ibirapuera. Vou de Táxi, 10h30, Ibirapuera. Dozens of bairro blocos across all zones.
Carnaval
Tue 17
☀️ 32° 40%
Terça-feira de Carnaval. Galo da Madrugada, 09h, Ibirapuera. Se Fui Triste Não Me Lembro (Di Ferrero), 13h, Faria Lima. Dozens more blocos. Apuração at 16h — Grupo Especial champion announced. Official state holiday.
Carnaval
Wed 18
⛅ 28° 50%
Quarta-feira de Cinzas. City decompresses. Ponto facultativo. Museums begin reopening (Pinacoteca from 12h, MIS from 12h). Some restaurants resume service.
Ash Wednesday
Thu 19
⛅ 29° 45%
City recovery day. Full museum hours resume. Restaurants reopen. Pinacoteca “Trabalho de Carnaval” exhibition. Itaú Cultural “Game+ Arte” show. Poupatempo reopens from 12h.
Resuming
Fri 20
⛅ 28° 45%
City fully normal. All services open. Perfect day for museums, parks, gastronomy. Museu do Ipiranga, MAC USP, IMS Paulista all open. Post-Carnaval dining season begins.
Post-Carnaval
The week in one line: Monday is the megabloco climax. Tuesday is the last dance and the verdict. Wednesday is the exhale. Thursday–Friday is the reboot. Plan accordingly.
03The Best Day OutEscape the city
This week’s best day out isn’t an escape from the city — it’s a deeper look at the festival that just consumed it. The Pinacoteca de São Paulo’s major exhibition “Trabalho de Carnaval” at the Pina Contemporânea presents over 200 works celebrating the invisible labour behind Brazil’s greatest party: the seamstresses, float builders, costume designers, and percussion directors who make Carnaval possible. Visiting on Thursday — the day after Ash Wednesday — gives the exhibition a powerful emotional charge. You’ve just seen the spectacle; now you see the hands that built it.
Suggested Itinerary
1
10:00 — Coffee at Estação da LuzStart at the Estação da Luz precinct. The neighbourhood is walkable and calm on a Thursday. Grab a coffee at a café near the station before the museums open.
2
10:30 — Pinacoteca “Trabalho de Carnaval”Head to the Pina Contemporânea (Av. Tiradentes, 273). The exhibition features photography, video, costumes, and sculptural pieces documenting the artisans and workers of Carnaval. Over 200 works. Allow 90 minutes. R$30 full / R$15 half. Free on Saturdays.
3
12:30 — Museu da Língua PortuguesaWalk five minutes to the Museu da Língua Portuguesa inside the Estação da Luz (Praça da Luz, s/nº). Currently showing the temporary exhibition “FUNK: Um grito de ousadia e liberdade.” Open Tue–Sun, 9h–16h30. R$24 full / R$12 half.
4
14:00 — Lunch in the Luz neighbourhoodThe Luz precinct has been revitalised with new cafés and restaurants. Alternatively, walk 15 minutes to the Mercado Municipal (Mercadão) for the famous mortadella sandwich and pastel de bacalhau — touristy but worth it at least once.
5
15:30 — Jardim da LuzEnd at the Jardim da Luz, São Paulo’s oldest public park (1825), adjacent to the Pinacoteca. Shaded paths, sculptures, and a welcome dose of green after the concrete intensity of Carnaval week. Free entry.
Why Thursday is the day: Most museums reopen fully by Thursday after reduced Carnaval hours. The Pinacoteca’s Carnaval exhibition hits differently when you’ve just lived through the festival. The crowds haven’t returned yet — this may be your quietest museum day in São Paulo all year.
Also on the radar this week
→ Campos do Jordão — The mountain escape (2.5h by car). Cool air, European-style architecture, Capivari district. Best on Thursday or Friday when the city is quiet but the serra is fully open.→ Santos & Guarujá — The coast (1h by car). Post-Carnaval beach calm returns by Thursday. Santos waterfront, Museu Pelé, Guarujá beaches. Take the Anchieta-Imigrantes highway early to avoid traffic.→ Embu das Artes — The artisan town (30 min by car). Famous for its Sunday craft fair, but the galleries and ateliers are open weekdays too. Thursday or Friday, when the town is peaceful and prices are honest.
04Culture Worth Your Time5 editor’s picks
Not a complete listings page — just the five things our editors would actually go to this week, in order of priority.
Pick 1 · The Main Event
Bloco da Pabllo + NMIXX
Carnaval
Monday, Feb 16 · 13:00 · Av. Pedro Álvares Cabral, Ibirapuera (between Obelisco and Monumento às Bandeiras) · Free
The largest bloco in São Paulo and one of the biggest in Brazil. Pabllo Vittar commands the trio elétrico with a pop-funk-samba setlist that drew over two million people in 2025. This year’s edition features confirmed guest NMIXX, the K-pop group who collaborated with Pabllo on “MEXE” — their first live performance of the track together. The Ibirapuera circuit between the Obelisco and Monumento às Bandeiras becomes a sea of glitter, colour, and celebration of diversity. Arrive early — the area fills fast. Free entry.
Why this week: Because this is the only edition in 2026, and the NMIXX crossover is a first-ever moment in Brazilian Carnaval.
Pick 2 · Emotional Peak
Apuração — Grupo Especial Results Live
Carnaval
Tuesday, Feb 17 · 16:00 · Sambódromo do Anhembi · Free (TV Globo / Globoplay live broadcast)
São Paulo’s apuração happens on Terça-feira de Carnaval itself — a day earlier than Rio’s. Fourteen Grupo Especial schools await their verdict as specialised judges evaluate nine criteria including enredo, bateria, samba-enredo, and comissão de frente. The scores are read live from the Anhembi, broadcast on TV Globo and Globoplay, and streamed by the Carnavalesco team. This year’s race is wide open: Mocidade Alegre, Águia de Ouro, and Gaviões da Fiel are all strong contenders. The two lowest-placed schools face relegation to Grupo de Acesso I.
Why this week: The single most emotionally intense moment of São Paulo’s Carnaval. Find a screen or a bar full of samba school fans.
Pick 3 · Cultural Tradition
Galo da Madrugada (SP Edition)
Carnaval
Tuesday, Feb 17 · 09:00 · Av. Pedro Álvares Cabral, Obelisco, Ibirapuera · Free
Founded in Recife in 1978, the Galo da Madrugada is a national patrimony of Carnaval — and its São Paulo edition brings the raw energy of Pernambuco’s frevo tradition to the Ibirapuera circuit. Orquestras de frevo, elaborate costumes, and a dawn-to-afternoon cortejo that channels the spirit of the original. This is the best early-morning Carnaval option on Tuesday — arrive at 09h, catch the frevo, and be done by 14h in time for the apuração broadcast.
Why this week: Recife meets São Paulo. The frevo counterpoint to the pop-heavy Ibirapuera megablocos.
Pick 4 · Exhibition
Pinacoteca — “Trabalho de Carnaval”
Exhibition
Through 2026 · Tue–Sun · Pina Contemporânea, Av. Tiradentes, 273, Luz · R$30 / Free Sat
Over 200 works celebrating the workers who build Carnaval: seamstresses, float architects, costume designers, percussionists. A major collective show that reframes the festival as labour, community, and craft rather than spectacle. Best visited Thursday or Friday, after you’ve seen the parades and blocos for yourself.
Why this week: Context changes everything. See the exhibition after living through Carnaval and it transforms from art show to revelation.
Pick 5 · For the Kids
Museu Catavento — Catafolia
Family
Feb 14, 15 & 17 · 9h–17h · Av. Mercúrio, s/n, Parque Dom Pedro II · R$20
The Catavento science museum runs Catafolia on Carnaval days — workshops where children make estandartes, instruments (tambores, ganzás), and Carnaval masks. Officinas at 10h and 14h. The museum also has its borboletário, VR dinosaur exhibit, and climbing wall. Ideal for families who want a structured, indoor Carnaval experience away from the street chaos. Tickets via Agenda Viva SP for workshops.
Why this week: Carnaval-themed programming only runs during Carnaval itself. Kids learn the culture hands-on.
05The TableEat & drink
What to eat this week, where to find it, and how to navigate a city where half the restaurants change their hours.
Restaurant of the week
Miles Wine & Jazz Bar — Campo Belo
From February 13–17, the Miles transforms into a Mardi Gras outpost with Dixieland jazz sets, New Orleans-inspired cocktails, and a curated wine list. A sophisticated counterpoint to the chaos of the blocos — open throughout Carnaval with live music nightly. The kind of place where you can decompress with a great glass of wine while the city vibrates outside. Book ahead for the weekend; weekday tables are easier.
R. Vieira de Moraes · Campo Belo · Open throughout Carnaval · R$80–150pp
Street food at blocosMon–Tue on the Ibirapuera circuit: espetinhos, coxinhas, pastéis, açaí bowls, água de coco, and cerveja from ambulantes. Cash or Pix for most vendors. The Consolação and Faria Lima circuits also have food trucks. Eat a proper meal before heading out — bloco food keeps you standing, it doesn’t sustain you.
Pinheiros & Vila Madalena survivorsBars and restaurants in Pinheiros and Vila Madalena stay open through Carnaval. Barletta Ristorante runs double drinks on Feb 13–14. Tank Brewpub (Pinheiros) launches Carnaval craft beers. T.T. Burger (Pinheiros) extends hours until 2h from Feb 14–17. Café Hotel runs themed parties nightly. Check hours daily — schedules shift.
Thursday–Friday reboundsSão Paulo restaurants reopen faster than any city in Brazil. By Thursday most neighbourhood favourites are back. This is the moment to try Corrientes 348 (Jardim Europa) for Argentine cuts, Arabia (Jardins) for Lebanese classics, or Di Bari Pizza (Vila Madalena) for artisan pies — tables that were impossible during the chaos suddenly become available.
Grotta Cucina — HigienópolisAn Italian-accented oasis with Carnaval-special Aperol Spritz and Bellini conditions, plus Chiacchiere salate (savoury fritters) and Fritelle de Carnevale (cream-filled pastries with cinnamon and pistachio). The intersection of Italian Carnevale tradition and São Paulo Carnaval. A civilised way to participate without sweating through a bloco.
Hydration is not optional: Mon–Tue peak temperatures hit 32–33°C. São Paulo’s humidity compounds the heat. Carry water at all times. Coconut water from street vendors is R$6–10. Sunscreen is essential — the Ibirapuera circuit has almost no shade. Electrolyte sachets from any farmácia will save your Wednesday morning.
06Neighborhood WalkVila Madalena
This week’s neighbourhood
Vila Madalena — The Bohemian Heart of São Paulo
Best day: Thursday (post-Carnaval calm) · Duration: 3–4 hours · Terrain: Hilly, urban · Wear comfortable shoes
During Carnaval, the Vila Madalena is one of the city’s epicentres — blocos fill its winding streets and bars overflow from dawn to dawn. But by Thursday, the neighbourhood reveals its true character: a hillside labyrinth of art galleries, independent boutiques, tree-lined cafés, and some of the most striking street art in South America. The streets named Purpurina, Harmonia, and Girassol give it a poetic identity that no other bairro in São Paulo can match.
A Thursday Walking Route
→ Start: Beco do Batman — The narrow alley off Rua Gonçalo Afonso, covered floor to ceiling in graffiti and murals by Brazilian and international artists. The walls are repainted constantly — what you see this week won’t exist next month. Best photographed in morning light.→ Rua Harmonia & Rua Aspicuelta — The main bar axis of the Vila. By Thursday the bloco infrastructure is gone and the botecos return to their regular rhythm. Stop at Bar Astor (Rua Delfina, 163) for an afternoon cocktail, or Boteco São Bento (Rua Mourato Coelho, 1060) for chopp and a feijoada if it’s Saturday.
→ Rua Fradique Coutinho — Galleries, design shops, and independent bookstores. Walk slowly. The Vila’s creative economy lives on this street.
→ Pé de Manga — A bar-restaurant hidden under centenarian mango trees at Rua Arapiraca, 152. A garden oasis with colourful drinks and a menu that ranges from casual to ambitious. One of the most beautiful outdoor spaces in São Paulo.
→ End: Praça Benedito Calixto — Technically in adjacent Pinheiros, but the boundary is invisible. On Saturdays, this praça hosts one of São Paulo’s best antique and craft fairs. On a Thursday, it’s a quiet leafy square with surrounding bars and galleries. Walk down Rua Wisard for more street art.
Local tip: The streets that were packed with Carnaval blocos on Sunday — Rua Aspicuelta, Rua Mourato Coelho — are the same streets you’ll walk in quiet on Thursday. The contrast between the Vila Madalena at peak Carnaval and in its calm state is one of São Paulo’s most surreal experiences. Walk the same route twice if you can.
07The CalendarEvents grid
Event
When
Where
Price
Bloco da Pabllo — Pabllo Vittar + NMIXX (2M+ expected)
Mon 16, 13:00
Av. Pedro Álvares Cabral, Ibirapuera
Free
Bloco Vou de Táxi — Hits dos anos 90/2000
Mon 16, 10:30
Obelisco, Ibirapuera
Free
Se Fui Triste Não Me Lembro — Di Ferrero (rock/pop on trio elétrico)
Tue 17, 13:00
Av. Brig. Faria Lima, 4100, Itaim Bibi
Free
Galo da Madrugada — Pernambuco frevo tradition
Tue 17, 09:00
Obelisco, Ibirapuera
Free
Apuração Grupo Especial — Champion announced live
Tue 17, 16:00
Sambódromo do Anhembi (broadcast TV Globo / Globoplay)
Free
Pinacoteca “Trabalho de Carnaval” — 200+ works on the labour of Carnaval
Thu 19 onward · Tue–Sun
Pina Contemporânea, Av. Tiradentes, 273, Luz
R$30
Itaú Cultural — “Game+ Arte, Cultura e Comunidade”
Thu 19 onward · Tue–Sun
Av. Paulista, 149, Bela Vista
Free
CCBB — “Joaquín Torres García – 150 anos” — 500+ works
Thu 19 onward · Wed–Mon
R. Álvares Penteado, 112, Centro
Free
IMS Paulista — Gordon Parks retrospective — 200 works
Thu 19 onward · Tue–Sun
Av. Paulista, 2424, Bela Vista
Free
08The Practical StuffKnow before you go
→ Metrô & CPTM: 24h operation through Mon 16 (from Sun night). Embarque at Portuguesa-Tietê (L1) and Palmeiras-Barra Funda (L3) during overnight hours; other stations for desembarque only→ Lines 4-Amarela & 5-Lilás: 24h through Mon 16. Lines 8 & 9: entry until midnight, desembarque 24h→ Buy bilhete digital QR Code via WhatsApp TOP (11 3888-2200) or app TOP to avoid queues→ Free buses (Atende) from Tietê and Barra Funda to Sambódromo do Anhembi from 18h on desfile nights
→ USD 1 ≈ R$5.75 (mid-Feb 2026). ATMs at Bradesco, Itaú, Santander accept international cards→ Pix is universal — even ambulantes at blocos accept it. Set up Pix before going out→ Banks closed Mon 16 & Tue 17. Reopen Wed 18 afternoon or Thu 19 depending on branch→ Carry minimal cash (R$50–100) and keep phone in a waterproof pouch at blocos
→ Dengue season active — apply repellent, especially at dusk and around parks→ Carry only essentials at blocos: phone, cash, ID copy in a waterproof pouch→ Hospitals maintain full emergency operations throughout Carnaval→ Sunscreen SPF50+ is essential — Ibirapuera circuit is shadeless at peak hours
→ Mon 16: Ponto facultativo (state/city offices closed)→ Tue 17: Official Carnaval holiday (state law). All government offices and most banks closed→ Wed 18: Ponto facultativo until 12h–14h. Poupatempo reopens from 12h→ U.S. Consulate (R. Henri Dunant, 500) closed Mon–Tue. Reopens Wed afternoon
09The InsiderFeature
How São Paulo Quietly Became the Largest Carnaval de Rua in Brazil
The city that wasn’t supposed to be a Carnaval destination.
For decades, São Paulo’s Carnaval existed in the shadow of Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Recife. The financial capital was the city people left during Carnaval — heading to the coast, the countryside, anywhere but the concrete jungle. The Sambódromo do Anhembi held desfiles that were respected but rarely celebrated with the same fervour as the Marquês de Sapucaí. The blocos de rua were small, neighbourhood affairs. Nobody booked a flight to São Paulo for Carnaval.
Then something shifted. Around 2012, the city’s street Carnaval began to explode. What started as a handful of blocos in Vila Madalena and the Centro grew into a phenomenon. By 2020, before the pandemic pause, São Paulo had surpassed Rio in the sheer number of blocos and estimated foliões on the streets. The 2025 edition saw Pabllo Vittar draw over two million people to a single bloco at the Ibirapuera — a number that would have been inconceivable a decade earlier. In 2026, the city has 627 registered blocos and an estimated 16.5 million participants across the full season.
The reasons are structural. São Paulo’s Carnaval de rua is free, decentralised, and wildly diverse. Unlike Rio’s concentrated Sambódromo-plus-Centro model, or Salvador’s trio elétrico circuits, São Paulo’s blocos sprawl across every bairro — from the megablocos at the Ibirapuera to the Bloco Otaku in Liberdade (anime costumes and J-pop), from the punk-influenced Bloco 77 to the Afro-Brazilian Ilú Obá de Min in the República. There is no single circuit. The city is the circuit.
The Anhembi desfiles have also evolved. The 2026 rule change allowing unlimited alegorias (floats) — with a minimum of four — has encouraged more ambitious productions. Schools like Gaviões da Fiel, with their deep Corinthians fanbase, bring a stadium-like energy. Mocidade Alegre and Águia de Ouro consistently push creative boundaries. The apuração at 16h on Terça-feira — a day earlier than Rio — means São Paulo’s champion is crowned while Rio is still parading.
The result is a Carnaval that defies every stereotype about São Paulo. The work city, the business city, the city of grey concrete and eternal rush hour — for one week in February, it becomes the most joyful place in the country. And unlike Rio, where Carnaval feels like the continuation of a centuries-old tradition, São Paulo’s version feels like something still being invented. That energy — of a city surprising itself — is what makes it extraordinary.
10Next Week’s PreviewPlan now
Three things to book, plan, or think about before next week arrives.
Book now
Desfile das Campeãs — Sat Feb 21
The top schools return to the Anhembi for the encore parade at 20h. The smart alternative to the sold-out Grupo Especial nights — better availability, lower prices, and you know you’re seeing the champions. Arquibancadas from R$50 (meia) via Clube do Ingresso. All sectors still available as of publication.
Experience
Pós-Carnaval Weekend — BaianaSystem & Pedro Sampaio
Feb 21–22. The pós-Carnaval at Ibirapuera features Bloco Navio Pirata (BaianaSystem), 15h–18h on Sat; Bloco Beats (Pedro Sampaio), 13h–18h on Sun; and Bloco Vem com o Gigante (Léo Santana), 09h–14h on Sun. Plus Pipoca da Rainha (Daniela Mercury) at Consolação on Sun. All free. The folia continues.
Recover
The Post-Carnaval Window
Feb 23 onward is one of the best weeks to experience São Paulo at its finest. The Carnaval infrastructure disappears, restaurants are eager to fill seats, museums are uncrowded, and the city’s cultural calendar restarts with full force. Avenida Paulista, Jardins, Liberdade, Vila Madalena — all at their best. Next week’s guide will cover it.
São Paulo Weekly Outlook
February 16–20, 2026 · Vol. 1, No. 01 · Published by riotimesonline.com
