São Paulo is one of Brazil’s leading cultural centers, standing out for its wide range of leisure and entertainment attractions. However, a survey by The Art Newspaper shows that the city also stands out on an even larger scale: the metropolis will have two of the world’s most visited museums by 2025, putting Brazil in the spotlight on the international art scene.
This achievement confirms the cultural power of São Paulo, which is already among the largest and most influential cities in Latin America. Although widely known as the country’s financial center, the city is currently experiencing growth in cultural tourism, attracting both Brazilians and foreigners to São Paulo’s museums.
The success of MASP and the Pinacoteca in the international rankings
MASP (São Paulo Museum of Art) remains a favorite among São Paulo residents and an unquestionable landmark. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that it is the highest-ranked Brazilian institution in the guide, occupying the 64th position.
With 1,195,935 visitors recorded in 2025, MASP more than doubled its audience compared to the previous year. The publication mentions the opening of the Pietro Maria Bardi Building (the long-awaited annex) and the Claude Monet exhibition, which alone attracted more than 500,000 people last year.
Shortly thereafter, the Pinacoteca de São Paulo also secured its place of prestige in the international publication. With 820,000 visitors, the museum ranked 94th among the 100 most-visited museums. This is a well-deserved recognition for the city’s oldest art museum, which houses a collection of over 10,000 Brazilian works.
In addition to these two institutions, the survey highlights other museums in São Paulo with strong growth in visitor numbers, such as the Tomie Ohtake Institute and the Moreira Salles Institute (IMS).
The global landscape and the strength of Brazilian culture
In addition to São Paulo’s museums, Brazil is represented on the list by two other institutions: the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center (CCBB) in Rio de Janeiro, ranked 67th, and the CCBB Belo Horizonte, ranked 69th.
Museums in Mexico also hold prominent positions, showing that Latin America is experiencing a “surge in visitors” that challenges the historical dominance of Europe and the United States.
The top spot worldwide, however, remains with the Louvre Museum in France. The home of the Mona Lisa welcomed over 9 million visitors last year! Check out the Top 10 museums leading the global list below:
- Musée du Louvre (Paris, France): +9 million visitors;
- Vatican Museums ( Vatican): +6.9 million visitors;
- National Museum of Korea (Seoul, South Korea): ~6.5 million visitors;
- British Museum (London, United Kingdom): +6.4 million visitors;
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art/The Met (New York, USA): +5.9 million visitors;
- Russian State Museum (St. Petersburg, Russia): +5 million visitors;
- National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico City, Mexico): 5.04 million visitors;
- Shanghai Museum East (Shanghai, China): ~4.6 million visitors;
- Tate Modern (London, United Kingdom): 4.5 million visitors;
- National Gallery ( London, United Kingdom): 4.1 million visitors.
