63 Best Performing Arts in Brazil

Brasília's premier cultural center, aka CCBB, hosts art exhibits, dance shows, and plays. The lunchtime canteen is one of the best dining values in town. There's a regular free bus service to and from the Eixo Monumental.

Surrounded by beautiful gardens, spectacular modernist architecture, and an interesting museum, the institute creates the perfect atmosphere for classical music. Listen to musicians performing pieces from Bach, Chopin, Debussy, and other classical composers. Outdoor cinema screenings are held here, too. There is a great café too, and it's worth a visit even on days when there are no scheduled performances.

Despite being housed in a magnificent old train station, Sala São Paulo is one of the most modern concert halls for classical music in Latin America. It's home to the São Paulo Symphony (OSESP).

Teatro Amazonas draws some of the biggest names in theater, opera, and classical music. Monday-evening performances are free, and the Amazonas Philharmonic Orchestra plays every Thursday night. The Teatro holds an opera festival every year in April and May.

A triple-threat bar, restaurant, and late-night entertainment venue, the Theatro da Villa occupies an 1850 theater in the historic center of Tiradentes. On weekends, musical shows accompany dinner inspired by the slow-food movement. The wine list is excellent, and the service is impeccable.

Built in 1909, the stunning Municipal Theater at Cinelândia is the city's main performing-arts venue, hosting dance, opera, symphony concerts, and theater events for most of the year. The season officially runs from March to December, so don't be surprised to find the theater closed in January and February. The theater also has its own ballet company.

The samba school Salguiero holds its pre-Carnival rehearsals only on Saturdays, from 10 pm. The school also runs Samba Experience events from 9:30 pm, which include a limb-loosening caipirinha, samba classes, and entry to the rehearsals.

This group, which started out as a Carnival bloco and is renowned as the oldest Afro bloco in Brazil, has turned itself into a dynamic cultural hub. It now has its own school and promotes the study and practice of African heritage, religion, and history. To take part, call ahead to schedule a visit to the school. Contributions are appreciated. Its Carnival camaroteis considered one of the best.

The City Ballet, São Paulo's official dance company, has performed for many years at the magnificent Theatro Municipal.

The ballet performs contemporary works incorporating Brazilian pop and bossa nova music. Founded in 1971 during Brazil's period of dictatorship, the company made its name performing dances with political and social-justice themes.

This bar has excellent live choro and samba on Friday from 8 pm to midnight and also on weekends from midday to midnight. Lunch is served on both days as well.

The several-times winner of Rio's annual Samba School competition, Beija-Flor holds public rehearsals on Thursdays at 9 pm in the months leading up to Carnival.

This cinema screens art-house films. Also here are a coffee shop, a bookstore, and a small store that sells locally produced arts and crafts.

In a beautifully restored belle epoque mansion in Recife Antigo, this huge arts space includes three exhibitions rooms, a theater, a coffee shop, dance studios, and a roof-terrace with wonderful views over the city.

One of the city's main cultural spaces, Caixa Cultural Brasília puts on exhibitions, concerts, plays, dance, and multimedia events.

Occupying what was Porto Alegre's finest hotel at the turn of the 20th century, the salmon-pink Casa de Cultura Mário Quintana has two art-house cinemas, one theater, and several exhibit rooms. The popular Café Santo da Casa, on the seventh floor, has regular jazz and classical music performances and gets busy with an after-work crowd.

Salvador's best-known percussion group, Olodum, gained international fame when it participated in Paul Simon's "Rhythm of the Saints" tour and recordings. Its vibrant samba-reggae vibe makes it one of Salvador's most popular Carnival schools. Olodum has its own venue, the Casa do Olodum, and performs live shows around town, often on Tuesday or Sunday.

The Centro Cultural Banco do Nordeste hosts plays, concerts, and art exhibitions.

The last remaining movie palace in historic Cinelândia—once the focal point of moviegoing activity in Rio—is one of the most well-preserved and important in the country. The luxurious theater has hosted premieres, exhibits, and events since opening in 1926, and was totally renovated in 2015.

With a glorious view of Guanabara Bay and downtown, the Parque das Ruinas houses the remains of a mansion building that was Rio's bohemian epicenter in the first half of the 20th century. Today live music and theater performances are held here, and the panoramic views from the top of the building are stunning. Occasional music and art events take place during the summer.

The cultural center has temporary alternative film screenings, particularly of Brazilian titles, but also presents plays, concerts, and art exhibits. Major renovations finished in 2013 added new projection and sound equipment and saw improvements in the lighting and acoustics. Admission is free or low-price for some events.

With its conspicuous 350-foot brick smokestack, the Centro Cultural Usina do Gasômetro was the city's first coal-fired power plant—built in the late 1920s, when the city experienced rapid growth. Today it holds theaters, meeting rooms, and exhibit spaces on the banks of the Rio Guaíba. A terrace café overlooking the river is the perfect place to take in a sunset. The center is open Tuesday–Sunday 9–9. To find out what's on, it's best to call ahead, as there is little up-to-date information published online.

Cultural life in Tiradentes revolves around this arts center, which hosts theatrical performances, films, concerts, and art exhibitions.

The large Centro Dragão do Mar de Arte e Cultura, near the Mercado Central, has several theaters and an open-air amphitheater that host live performances. There are also classrooms for courses in cinema, theater, design, and dance.

The 3,700-seat hall presents concerts by famous Brazilian and foreign musical artists. It is also a venue for volleyball and basketball games.

Titles already out of other theaters and independent openings show for discounted prices at CineSESC. The screen is visible from the snack bar.

This esteemed contemporary dance company specializes in Brazilian contemporary dance and classic ballets. The performances are always accompanied by an orchestra.

This concert hall in the middle of the Eixo Monumental is where devotees of chorinho, a traditional Brazilian music, perform Wednesday to Saturday.