On January 25, the capital of São Paulo celebrates its 472nd anniversary. As usual, São Paulo’s anniversary brings a special program full of attractions for all tastes and ages. Check out our itinerary and enjoy the best the city has to offer!
What to do on São Paulo’s anniversary: highlights of the 2026 program
LUMINISCENCE: Lights of São Paulo
After its success in France, the immersive show LUMINISCENCE arrives in the capital of São Paulo to transform the Sé Cathedral into a living canvas. The experience combines 360°video mapping, live music, and narration to tell the story of this architectural icon, highlighting its neo-Gothic details and elements of Brazilian fauna and flora.
If you still don’t know what to do on São Paulo’s anniversary, we recommend experiencing this journey of art and spirituality. On January 25, the audience will enjoy a unique performance, where a live orchestra and choir fill the space, accompanied by monumental projections decorating the walls of the temple.
📅 January 25
🕓 Sunday, at 7:30 p.m. and 9:20 p.m.
🎫 Starting at R$ 125, available here
📍 Sé Cathedral: Praça da Sé, s/n – Sé
Photo: Disclosure/Luminiscence
Vintage Culture, ANNA, and Mochakk
The City of São Paulo celebrates the capital’s 472nd anniversary with big names in electronic music. DJ Vintage Culture leads the party, inviting ANNA and Mochakk for simultaneous performances at Carmo and Povo Parks. All free of charge!
📅 January 25
🕓 Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
🎫 Free | Tickets sold out
📍 Parque do Carmo and Parque do Povo
Photo: Disclosure
Flavors of the Neighborhoods
The festival is an excellent option for São Paulo’s anniversary, offering complete leisure for the family. There will be 50 food exhibitors serving dishes starting at R$ 15, as well as performances by Samba do Tatu and the forreggae band K’NOA.
📅 January 24 and 25
🕓 Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
♿ Accessible location
🎫 Free admission
📍 Avenida Professor Frederico Hermann Júnior – Pinheiros
Samba do Tatu. Photo: Publicity
Casa Bradesco
In honor of São Paulo’s anniversary, the institution offers an intense multicultural program to celebrate the city’s identity. Activities range from masterclasses with names such as filmmaker Laís Bodanzky, gastronomic experiences that explore the flavors of the capital, literary workshops, and musical performances of jazz and contemporary rhythms.
📅 January 20-25
🎫 Free, with tickets available through the MATA APP or at the box office
📍 Alameda Rio Claro, 190 – Bela Vista
Photo: Estúdio TINO/Press Release
Horto Florestal
Cinema and History at the Forest Museum
To celebrate São Paulo’s anniversary, the Octávio Vecchi Forest Museum is screening the film “É Tempo de Amoras”(Time for Blackberries), which was filmed in the Horto itself and in the North Zone. The experience includes a chat with director Anahí Borges and a tour of the actual locations used in the production, combining cinema and historical heritage.
📅 January 25
🕓 Sunday, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
🎫 Free
📍 Octávio Vecchi Forest Museum: Rua do Horto, 931 – Horto Florestal
Lixúria: trash is the beast – Busão das Artes
Looking for something to do on São Paulo’s anniversary? We recommend checking out Busão das Artes, a traveling gallery in a box truck that encourages reflection on sustainability. Through the Lixúria exhibition, the attraction transforms the concept of waste into art and science, offering an interactive environmental education experience for all ages.
📅 Until January 25
🕓 Daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
🎫 Free
📍 Horto Florestal Park (Gate 4): Rua do Horto, 931 – Horto Florestal
Museum of the City of São Paulo
Between Várzea do Carmo and the Glória district
This attraction invites visitors on a historical walk between the region of the former Várzea do Carmo (where the Solar da Marquesa de Santos is located) and the former district of Glória, now known as Liberdade. Participants explore the different memories of the region, discussing the presence of the black population and the old colonial sociability that still resonates today. An excellent choice to learn about the historical roots of the city center on this anniversary of São Paulo!
📅 January 24
🕓 Saturday, at 10 a.m.
🎫 Free | Admission on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limit of 20 people
❗ Light clothing and a water bottle are recommended
📍 Meeting point at Solar da Marquesa de Santos: Rua Roberto Simonsen, 136 – Historic Center
Chapel of the Afflicted. Photo: IgepacSP/via Jornal da USP
From Black Dances to Marquesa Dances
How about going out dancing on São Paulo’s anniversary? On January 25, Solar da Marquesa de Santos will welcome all the energy of Flash Black dance moves, celebrating the Black Ball as a form of resistance for black identity in the outskirts of São Paulo. Participants will receive a practical introduction to the dance and reflections on black memory in the city’s culture.
📅 January 25
🕓 Sunday, at 1 p.m.
🎫 Free
📍 Solar da Marquesa de Santos: Rua Roberto Simonsen, 136 – Historic Center
Photo: Paolo Massimo Ferretti/Wikimedia
Municipal Historical Archive
Themed tour: anniversary edition
The Municipal Historical Archive opens its doors for a guided tour that explores the creation and expansion of São Paulo through rare documents and the architecture of its 1920 building. Visitors will have the chance to see restricted areas of the historic building in a true journey through time.
📅 January 24
🕓 Saturday, at 10:30 a.m.
🎫 Free, with advance ticket pickup on the official website
📍 Municipal Historical Archive: Praça Coronel Fernando Prestes, 152 – Bom Retiro
Photo: Disclosure/Municipal Historical Archive of São Paulo
Clay workshop “technologies of the earth”
This hands-on workshop combines traditional clay techniques with reflections on the construction of the city of São Paulo. Open to all audiences, the activity invites participants to create small objects while rethinking the relationship between the urbanized metropolis and its historical origins of mud and clay.
📅 January 24
🕓 Saturday, at 2 p.m.
🎫 Free
📍 Municipal Historical Archive: Praça Coronel Fernando Prestes, 152 – Bom Retiro
Photo: Freepik
Samba circle at IMS Paulista
The institute hosts a samba circle in honor of Geraldo Filme, an icon of Afro-Paulista identity. The event brings together masters from the Velhas Guardas of traditional schools, such as Vai-Vai and Camisa Verde e Branco, connecting stories and memories of samba on São Paulo’s anniversary.
📅 January 25
🕓 Sunday, at 3 p.m.
🤟🏽 With interpretation in Brazilian Sign Language
🎫 Free
📍 IMS Paulista: Avenida Paulista, 2424 – Bela Vista
Photo: Disclosure/Pedro Vannucchi
Technical Rehearsals at the Sambadrome
Starting on January 10, São Paulo’s samba schools will begin preparing for Carnival 2026! The technical rehearsals will be held at Anhembi, free of charge and open to the public. On the weekend of the city’s anniversary, associations such as Gaviões da Fiel, Mocidade Alegre, and Acadêmicos do Tatuapé will thrill the public with open rehearsals that give a preview of the beauty of the official parade.
📅 January 24 and 25
🕓 Saturday and Sunday, starting at 5:30 p.m.
🎫 Free
📍 Anhembi Sambadrome: Avenida Olavo Fontoura, 1209 – Santana
Photo: Disclosure/Marcelo Messina/Liga SP
Restaurants with special menus for São Paulo’s anniversary
The city is getting older, but we are the ones getting gifts! In honor of the date, several restaurants in São Paulo are offering promotions or special menus for their customers. Check out our selection and celebrate São Paulo’s 472nd anniversary in a tasty and creative way!
Photo: Disclosure