Events & Festivals in Belo Horizonte

Belo Horizonte’s events calendar reflects the city’s identity as Brazil’s bar capital and the cultural heart of Minas Gerais. The calendar peaks during Carnival (February/March), the Festa Junina season (June), and the spring arts festivals (September/October). BH’s events tend to be more locally authentic and less tourist-packaged than Rio or Salvador, which means you will be drinking cachaca next to mineiros rather than international tour groups. Here are the major events in Belo Horizonte throughout the year.

Events and Festivals in Belo Horizonte: Major Celebrations

Carnival (February or March)

Belo Horizonte’s Carnival has exploded from a modest local event into Brazil’s third-largest Carnival celebration over the past decade, attracting over 5 million people to more than 500 street blocos (parades). Unlike Rio’s samba-school spectacle or Salvador’s trio-eletrico trucks, BH Carnival is grassroots and neighborhood-driven: each bloco is a community-organized street party with its own theme, costumes, and live band. Major blocos like Entao Brilha (neon theme, 400,000+ attendees) and Quando Come Se Lambuza (chocolate-themed, 200,000+) draw enormous crowds. Blocos run from the weekend before Carnival through Ash Wednesday, starting as early as 7am and running until late afternoon. Most are free and open to all; you just show up in costume. The official dates float between February and early March based on Easter. Book hotels 3-4 months in advance as Savassi and Lourdes fill up fast. Read our where to stay guide for neighborhood recommendations near the main bloco routes.

Comida di Buteco (April, ~2 weeks)

Comida di Buteco is Brazil’s largest culinary competition, running simultaneously across Belo Horizonte and 20+ other Brazilian cities for approximately two weeks in April. Over 100 participating botecos (bars) each create one signature petisco (bar snack) priced at a fixed R$35-45, competing for votes from the public and a panel of judges across categories of food, hygiene, service, and cold beer temperature. It is the perfect way to explore BH’s bar culture systematically: pick up a map and voting card at any participating boteco, then spend your evenings hopping between bars in Santa Tereza, Savassi, and Floresta, rating each dish. Expect queues at the most popular spots after 8pm on Friday and Saturday. The competition rules require each dish to use at least one ingredient from Minas Gerais, making this a deep dive into regional cuisine. See our things to do guide for more on BH’s food scene.

Festa Junina / Arraial de Belo (June)

The Festa Junina (June Festival) season transforms Belo Horizonte throughout June with traditional country fairs celebrating rural Brazilian culture. The city’s signature event is Arraial de Belo, a massive street fair held at Praca da Estacao near the central train station, running over two weekends in June. Expect live forro music, quadrilha (square dancing) performances, stalls selling canjica (sweet corn porridge), pe de moleque (peanut brittle), quentao (hot spiced cachaca), and games like pescaria (fishing for prizes). Most neighborhoods run their own smaller arraiais at local churches and community centres. Entry to Arraial de Belo is free, food and drink items cost R$10-25 each. The dry season weather (13-24 deg C) makes evenings comfortable, though you will want a light jacket as temperatures drop after sunset. Check our monthly weather data for detailed June climate data.

Festival Internacional de Teatro Palco e Rua (FIT-BH) (July/August, biennial)

Belo Horizonte’s International Theatre Festival (FIT-BH) runs in even-numbered years for approximately 10 days in July or August, bringing theatre, dance, and performance art companies from Brazil and abroad to venues across the city including the Palacio das Artes, Teatro Francisco Nunes, and outdoor stages in public squares. Many performances are free; ticketed shows run R$20-60. The festival emphasizes street theatre and site-specific works that spill into parks, plazas, and unexpected corners of the city. The 2024 edition featured 42 companies from 12 countries. Check the official site (fitbh.com.br) for the program schedule published about a month before each edition. The next edition is 2026.

Virada Cultural de Belo Horizonte (September)

Virada Cultural is a 24-hour marathon of free cultural events held over a single weekend in September, modeled on Sao Paulo’s festival of the same name. Stages across the city centre host continuous music, theatre, dance, film screenings, and art installations from Saturday morning through Sunday morning. Past editions have drawn 500,000+ attendees with headliners ranging from Brazilian MPB stars to international electronic acts. All events are free and take place primarily around Praca da Estacao, Praca Sete, and the Parque Municipal. Food and drink stalls operate throughout. September weather is mild (16-27 deg C) with moderate rain (48mm), a good balance for an overnight outdoor festival. Stay in Centro or Lourdes for walking-distance access; see our where to stay guide for nearby hotels.

Natal da Mineiridade (December)

Belo Horizonte’s Christmas celebration runs from early December through January 6 at Praca da Liberdade, transforming the historic square with a 40-metre Christmas tree, light projections on the surrounding heritage buildings, a Ferris wheel, and stalls serving mineiro holiday food. The event is free and draws families from across the state, especially on weekends after 7pm. A Christmas choir performs carols on Friday and Saturday evenings at the Palacio da Liberdade. It is a pleasant evening activity despite December’s afternoon rain, as thunderstorms typically clear by 6pm. Combine with a visit to the Circuito Cultural museums around the square during daylight hours as detailed in our things to do guide.

Smaller Events Worth Planning Around

• BH Restaurant Week (March and September): Two weeks of prix-fixe menus (R$55-75 lunch, R$75-110 dinner) at 60+ restaurants citywide. Excellent for sampling high-end mineira cuisine at accessible prices.
• Expocachaca (June/July): Brazil’s largest cachaca fair at Expominas convention centre, with 100+ artisanal producers offering tastings. Entry R$30, runs 3 days.
• Samba da Meia-Noite (Saturdays year-round): Not a festival but an institution: a weekly midnight samba roda at Cafe com Letras in Savassi (Rua Antonio de Albuquerque 781, R$15 cover after 11pm).
• Mercado de Origem (Sundays): A weekly farmers and crafts market at the old railway warehouse in the Lagoinha neighbourhood, 9am to 2pm. Best for artisanal cheese, cachaca, and local honey.

For seasonal weather details during these events, consult our monthly weather data and best time to visit guide for the optimal months to attend.