Entertainment

Whether it is summer or winter, it's impossible not to be entertained in São Paulo. As a melting pot of people from all over Brazil, the city has a character that reflects a bit of each region: the South, Northeast, Central and North. This can be observed in the unique culture of each district, in the gastronomy, and also in the entertainment possibilities. In São Paulo, you can find everything from striptease shows to more sober activities like museum touring.

Museums

If you're a museum lover, don't miss the "MIS" or Museu da Imagem e do Som (Sound and Image Museum), truly an extraordinary sensory experience. For those interested in the city’s history and colonization, go to the Pátio do Colégio and thereby visit the Museu Anchieta and see the esoteric iconography of the Jesuit order. The Museu Ipiranga is an important museum that houses works of art from Brazil's independence and the Museu do Folclore is another historical place of interest. Parque do Ibirapuera is a work of art from Brazil's most famous architect/city planner, Oscar Niemayer, he has engineered whole cities, such as the capital, Brasilia. Another museum you won't want to miss is the Instituto Butantã, this place focuses on venom, it's deadliness as well as the benefits. There are also plenty of snakes in open air pits. The São Paulo Art Gallery and the Museu de Arte Contemporânea e de Arte Moderna, are two other wonderful institutions that deserve the visit.

Nightlife & Clubbing

For all those devotees of city nightlife, the main districts to head for are those of Jardins, Bela Vista, Moema, Itaim-Bibi, Vila Madalena and Pinheiros. To taste a bit of cachaça, (Brazil's national liquor) go to Acqua Benedicta and as an homage to wine, there is the oenologist's dream called the Wine Library in the district of Morumbi. Listen to bossa-nova until the break of dawn at Baretto and mingle with some beautiful paulistas.

Cinema

In November, which is a summer month in São Paulo, the Mix Brasil of Cinema and Video for Sexual Diversity showcases more than 200 films from around the world. The Mostra Internacional de Cinema de São Paulo (Film Festival) also presents different cinema throughout theaters in the greater São Paulo area. Alongside the number of traditional movie theaters and multiplexes (these last normally found within shopping centers), there is also the option of the Cinemateca and some art-house cinemas, offering presentations of non-commercial and cult films.

Theater

For the theater crowd, more than forty theaters are open all year round, with a variety of performances for both adults and children. You can check what's playing in the local newspapers and weekly magazines, with the most complete entertainment guide appearing in the "A Folha de São Paulo" broadsheet (with its magazine supplement every Friday). Tickets for the theater should be booked well in advance.

Outdoors

In São Paulo, it's easy to find performances of traditional or modern Brazilian music, screenings of the latest Hollywood movie in one of the 250 cinemas dotted around the city, a football match in the Morumbi or Pacaembú stadiums, or the presentation of a play by celebrated Brazilian dramatist Nelson Rodrigues.

Whatever you are looking for, São Paulo has it: traditional and modern museums; theatres; public parks and gardens; dance clubs; bars (whether they be straight, gay or lesbian); restaurants offering typical Brazilian and/or international food; health and gym clubs; running tracks; boat rides in the reservoirs; water-theme parks; amusement parks; forrós (typical dancing and music events from the north-east, which are very popular); outdoor performances; nightclubs; dance presentations; classical music; opera; libraries; and tours of the city. And if that is still not enough, you could visit nearby locations such as the Santos and Guarujá beaches, just 80 km from the city.

Neither is São Paulo bereft of entertainment options for all those younger visitors to the city. From the local zoo to the Wet‘N’Wild São Paulo with its numerous water slides, the Parque da Mônica, the Playcenter and the Hopi Hari (62 miles from the city) with 179,000 square metres of attractions. Or you could take the whole family on a trip to the Guarapiranga Reservoir, which offers boats and hydroplane rides, man-made beaches and natural forests.

Art and Galleries

Contemporary art and photographic exhibitions are organized throughout the year, not only in the most famous galleries, but also in dozens of other art galleries spread throughout the city. You can find information on these exhibitions in newspaper guides or in guides found in hotel receptions, or in tourist information bureaus. Brazilian and international cultural activities, organized by SESC (Serviço Social do Comércio) and funded by local big businesses in and around São Paulo are also recommended.

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