Sao Paulo, Brazil — Activities
Sao Paulo Culture
São Paulo has the most dynamic cultural scene in the country, if not the continent. World-class opera and dance companies and orchestras regularly perform in the city.
Classical music concerts, dance and opera performances take place at the Theatro Municipal, Praça Ramos de Azevedo s/n (tel: (11) 3222 8698; website: www.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/theatromunicipal) and Sala São Paulo (tel: (11) 3337 5414; website: www.salasaopaulo.art.br).
The city’s official ballet company, Baléllet da Cidade (website: www.baledacidade.com.br) performs at the Theatro Municipal. Teatro Abril, Avenida Brigadeiro Luis Antonio 411 (tel: (11) 3105 2665; website: www.teatroabril.com.br) is a concert hall hosting some of São Paulo’s most important concerts as well as big name international musicals.
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Rua Álvares Penteado (tel: (11) 3113 3600; website: www.bb.com.br) is a cultural center that puts on cutting edge contemporary art exhibitions, films and shows.
The cultural guide, Guia da Folha, in the newspaper Folha de São Paulo, is a Friday supplement carrying weekly cultural listings.
Cinema is very popular in São Paulo. Kinoplex Itaim, Rua Joaquim Floriano 466 (tel: (11) 3078 9960; website: www.kinoplex.com.br) and Cine Bristol, Avenida Paulista 2064 (tel: (11) 3289 0509; website: www.playarte.com.br) are two multi-screen cinemas that often show English-language movies with Portuguese subtitles.
Sao Paulo Tours
All kinds of general and specialist city tours are on offer, reflecting the scale and the depth of the city, but because of its size, walking tours are less popular than tours by car, underground or even helicopter. All of the tours listed below can be given in English and most can be customized.
The City of São Paulo (website: www.cidadedesaopaulo.com) lists 10 options on themes such as glamour, art and romance and full contact details for the companies who offer them.
Museum, city and art trips can be arranged by Check Point Tours (tel: (11) 6091 1316; website: www.checkpointtours.com.br).
Go in São Paulo (tel: (11) 3289 3814; website: www.goinsaopaulo.com.br) offers the full range of tours, even including a theme parks and a shopping tour. All are private, with door-to-door service and transport in a private car or van.
