São Paulo’s anniversary features Vintage Culture, ANNA, and Mochakk in parks: all free of charge

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.

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!

🎫 Free | Tickets sold out

The festival is an excellent option for São Paulo’s anniversary, offering complete leisure for the family. There will be 50 food vendors serving dishes starting at R$ 15, as well as performances by Samba do Tatu and the forreggae band K’NOA. 

♿ Accessible location
🎫 Free admission

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.

🎫 Free, with tickets available through the MATA APP or at the box office.

To celebrate São Paulo’s anniversary, the Octávio Vecchi Forest Museum is showing the film “É Tempo de Amoras”(It’s Time for Blackberries), which was filmed in the Botanical Garden 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.

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.

🎫 Free

The attraction invites the public to take 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 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!

🎫 Free | Admission on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limit of 20 people
❗ Light clothing and a bottle of water are recommended

How about going out dancing on São Paulo’s anniversary? On January 25, Solar da Marquesa de Santos welcomes all the energy of Flash Black dance steps, celebrating the Baile Black as a form of resistance for black identityin the suburbs of São Paulo. Participants will receive apractical introduction to the dance and reflections on black memory in the city’s culture.

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 visit restricted areas of the historic building on a true journey through time.

🎫 Free, with advance ticket pickup on the official website

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.

The institute hosts a samba circle in honor of Geraldo Filme, an icon of Afro-Paulista identity. The gathering brings together masters from the Velhas Guardas of traditional schools, such as Vai-Vai and Camisa Verde e Branco, connecting stories and the memory of samba on São Paulo’s anniversary.

🎫 Free
🤟🏽 With interpretation in Brazilian Sign Language

Starting on January 10, São Paulo’s samba schools are getting ready for Carnival 2026! Technical rehearsals will be held at Anhembi, free 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.

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!

One of Brazil’s greatest comic book artists receives a special tribute for his 90th birthday with the free concert “Mitos Sonoros – FilarMônica”(Sound Myths – FilarMônica). The Experimental Repertoire Orchestra will perform tracks from Turma da Mônica and works of the author’s personal taste in an unmissable show inside one of the capital’s greatest architectural landmarks.

🎫 Free, with tickets available 48 hours in advance on the website or 2 hours in advance at the box office

The cultural program for São Paulo’s anniversary also includes free screenings in all Circuito Spcine theaters. Check out hits such as “Wicked: Part 2” and the acclaimed “The Secret Agent, “ as well as a special outdoor screening at the Jardim Suspenso do Centro Cultural São Paulo at 7 p.m.

🎫 Free, with tickets available 1 hour before the show at the box office of each venue

The Arthur Azevedo and Alfredo Mesquita theaters are hosting five free plays to celebrate the city. The highlights are “As Pedras de Javier”(Javier’s Stones), a tribute to puppet theater, and the musical “Bom Dia, Eternidade”(Good Morning, Eternity), which mixes samba with the story of four elderly brothers in search of their roots.

🎫 Free, with tickets available 1 hour before at the box office

The MASP’s Vão Livre (Open Space) is transformed into a leisure and sports center in partnership with Sesc Verão, with the presence of Olympic gymnasts Julia Soares and Lorrane Oliveira. In addition to physical activities, the museum will offer free admission to all current exhibitions, providing a cultural celebration for all ages.

The suburbs celebrate São Paulo’s 472nd anniversary with an open stage of samba and hip hop. The event marks the launch of the album of the 1st Bienal do Samba SP, with shows by Thobias da Vai-Vai and performances by 12 award-winning composers.

Rediscover the Historic Center with a guided walk that explores the architecture and history of the capital. The special anniversary tour departs from Shopping Light and visits important landmarks in the region, connecting cultural heritage to the daily life of the city.

🎫 Free, with advance registration on the official website

The Olido Gallery hosts a marathon of shows that celebrates original and unpublished samba. The project pays tribute to veteran Silvio Modesto and promotes the meeting of old-school voices with new talents, reaffirming samba as intangible heritage in the geographical and cultural center of São Paulo. 📅 January 20 to January 25 🎫 Free (tickets available via Sympla)

Children and teenagers can create graphic symbols that represent the metropolis in this workshop inspired by Japanese design. The activity uses the universal visual language of pictograms so that young people can express their vision of the cultural elements and daily life of São Paulo on the city’s anniversary.

Dom Pedro II Park will host a samba circle with the sociocultural project “Batucadas Pretas” from the East Zone. In addition to music, visitors can participate in workshops to build traditional musical instruments such as drums and ganzás, immersing themselves in the rhythmic history of the city.

🎫 Free

The Municipal Symphony Orchestra opens its season with a program that celebrates nature and national rhythms. Conducted by Priscila Bomfim and featuring pianist Hércules Gomes, the concert presents works by Villa-Lobos and Francisco Mignone to pay tribute to the capital.

🎫 Starting at R$ 13

Celebrate the city’s anniversary at this event that combines dance and electronic music! The program features renowned DJs such as Mau Mau and Mari Rossi, as well as the launch of the book Electronic Standards.

🎫 R$ 30 (at the door)

Historian Paulo Rezzutti gives a lecture at the Maria Luisa and Oscar Americano Foundation on the transformation of the small Jesuit village into the largest metropolis in Latin America. The event covers everything from the coffee cycle to current inequalities, offering a critical and fascinating look at São Paulo’s identity.

🎫 R$ 50

With free admission guaranteed on the anniversary weekend, the museum offers themed tours that explore the formation and transformations of the city through its collection. To end Sunday, DJ Bia Bless presents “Baile Sampa, “ connecting ancestral Afro-Brazilian rhythms to the museum’s historical narratives.

🤟🏽 Accessible location with Libras
🎫 Free, with tickets available at the box office starting at 10 a.m.