This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting our small business.
Sao Luis is best known for Bumba Meu Boi, the Maranhao bull festival that peaks in June and July, and for its year-round reggae scene. The city also runs one of northeast Brazil’s largest street carnivals. This guide lists the main events with dates and locations, and the best time to visit guide helps you line them up with the weather. For an overview, start with the Sao Luis city guide.
Sao Luis Events and Festivals: Bumba Meu Boi (June to July)
Bumba Meu Boi is the signature event of Maranhao, a theatrical folk festival that tells the story of a bull’s death and resurrection through music, dance and elaborate costumes. Performances run through June and July, peaking around Sao Joao on June 24 and the closing dates of June 29 to 30. The main groups perform in arraiais (festival grounds) across the city, and the largest public presentations happen at the arraial on Avenida Litoranea and in the historic centre. Entry to most arraiais is free or a few reais. June is still part of the wet season, so check the weather by month guide for rain before you go.
Sao Luis Events and Festivals: Carnival (February or March)
Carnival in Sao Luis runs the four days before Ash Wednesday, in February or March depending on the year. It is one of the biggest off-axis carnivals in Brazil, mixing Rio-style samba groups with local traditions like tambor de crioula and frevo. The main circuits are along Avenida Litoranea and in the historic centre. Hotels fill up and prices rise, so book several months ahead; see the where to stay article for area options.
Sao Luis Events and Festivals: Tambor de Crioula and Festas Juninas
Tambor de crioula is an Afro-Brazilian circle dance specific to Maranhao, performed by women in wide skirts around a central drummer. You can see it at festas juninas throughout June and at cultural venues like Casa do Maranhao at other times of year. The festas juninas themselves, the June celebrations of saints Anthony, John and Peter, fill the city with food stalls, bonfires and quadrille dances for most of the month. The travel tips guide covers getting around between venues.
Sao Luis Events and Festivals: Reggae Scene Year-Round
Sao Luis has the largest reggae scene in Brazil and is nicknamed ‘Jamaica brasileira’. Clubs and radiolas (sound-system dances) run every weekend in neighbourhoods across the city, playing roots reggae to huge speaker stacks. The most famous venues cluster in the historic centre and the Madre Deus district. Most charge R$10 to R$30 at the door and go until the early hours. Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest. The clubs cluster in the historic centre and Madre Deus, mapped in the neighborhoods guide.
Sao Luis Events and Festivals: Other Cultural Events
The Festa do Divino Espirito Santo takes place around May and June with processions and street celebrations. Religious festivals tied to Sao Benedito and Nossa Senhora da Vitoria run through the year. For sightseeing between events, the things to do guide covers the historic centre and the beaches.
