Brazil · CULTURE
Key Facts
- —What happened Elas Festival Belo Horizonte returns for its seventh year on 29 August 2026, from 2pm to 10pm.
- —How big One-day event at Funarte MG Cultural Complex in Centro district, with concerts, films, food and workshops.
- —The real story Women-led festival promotes gender equality and features female and LGBTQIAPN+ artistic production.
- —The catch No attendance figures have ever been published for any edition, and no stage times are confirmed.
- —Who it hits Four acts confirmed: DJ Felinz, Sonora Samba, Trio Mana Flor and Juliana Linhares.
- —What comes next Tickets on Sympla; seniors enter free but must collect a ticket in advance.
The seventh edition of the women-led festival brings music, film, food and workshops to a single Saturday in central Belo Horizonte.
The Elas Festival Belo Horizonte returns for its seventh year on Saturday 29 August 2026. Filling the Funarte MG Cultural Complex with a day of arts and culture.
Gates open at 2pm and the festival closes at 10pm, all in the Centro district of Belo Horizonte.
A One-Day Arts Celebration
The Elas Festival Belo Horizonte takes over Complexo Cultural Funarte MG, in fact, the National Arts Foundation’s venue in Minas Gerais. In addition, it is a major cultural event.
The programme runs from 2pm to 10pm on Saturday 29 August 2026. According to Funarte, the day includes concerts, a visual arts exhibition, food, photography showcases, short films and a creative economy market.
Workshops and a discussion circle, known as a roda de conversa, are also part of the schedule. The festival’s seventh edition is confirmed by Funarte and local media.
However, no attendance figures have ever been published for any edition. The festival is a one-day event, so plan your Saturday around it.
However, the programme is packed with activities from start to finish.
Elas Festival Belo Horizonte: Unleash Your Beasts
This year’s theme is ‘Solte suas Feras’, which translates as ‘Let your beasts loose’. The festival’s Sympla page invites the public to an immersive, multi-language experience.
The theme encourages visitors to embrace their wild side, according to the festival’s own description. It is a fitting motto for a day packed with diverse artistic expressions.
The theme invites visitors to an immersive experience across multiple art forms. Meanwhile, the festival’s name, Elas, means ‘they’ in Portuguese, referring to women.
The theme is a call to embrace creativity and expression. Meanwhile, the festival’s name, Elas, means ‘they’ in Portuguese, referring to women.
Ticket Prices and Entry Rules
Tickets cost R$30 (about US$6) for the full-price entry, known as inteira. Students and teachers pay R$15 (about US$3), the reduced meia-entrada rate.
Therefore, they get a discount. A social ticket, or entrada social, costs R$20 (about US$4) and requires donating a personal hygiene item.
People aged 60 and over enter free, but they must still collect a ticket. The social ticket requires a hygiene item donation in addition to the R$20 (about US$4) fee.
Therefore, the donation does not replace payment.
Where to Buy Tickets
Tickets are sold on Sympla, a Brazilian online ticketing platform. Funarte announced the sale on its government website.
The venue is the Complexo Cultural Funarte MG at Rua Januária, 68, in the Centro district. This is the same address used for all previous editions.
The venue has hosted every previous edition of the festival. In addition, the address is in the central district of Belo Horizonte.
The Four Named Acts
Four acts are confirmed for 2026: DJ Felinz, Sonora Samba, Trio Mana Flor and Juliana Linhares. No stage times have been published for any of them, however.
However, the festival will still go ahead. The festival’s programme also includes visual arts, photography, cinema and gastronomy, offering something for every taste.
The creative economy market will feature local stallholders. The four acts are DJ Felinz, Sonora Samba, Trio Mana Flor and Juliana Linhares.
However, no source describes their music or gives their stage times.
A Festival Created by Women
The Elas Festival Belo Horizonte was created by women to promote gender equality, according to a Belo Horizonte city hall culture document. A production team made up of women presents the leading role of women across several fields.
The programme is dedicated to the artistic and cultural production of women and of the LGBTQIAPN+ community. This extended initialism covers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual and non-binary people.
The festival’s production team is composed entirely of women. As a result, the programme highlights female artistic expression and local artists.
Previous Editions at the Same Venue
Every previous edition of the Elas Festival Belo Horizonte has been held at the Funarte MG Cultural Complex. The 2025 edition took place on Saturday 13 September, also from 2pm to 10pm.
That edition used the theme ‘Women are like waters, they grow when they meet’. In fact, it was a powerful message.
The fifth edition, in 2024, ran over three days, from 3 to 5 October, at the same venue. The 2025 edition used a theme about women growing when they meet.
The 2024 edition ran for three days.
Creative Economy Showcase
The festival’s creative economy market, known as economia criativa, brings together arts and design businesses. In 2024, it featured 30 women stallholders from Belo Horizonte and its metropolitan area.
For 2026, no stallholder count has been published. Still, the market remains a key part of the day’s programme.
The 2024 showcase featured 30 women stallholders from the local area. However, no stallholder count has been published for 2026.
Plan Your Visit
The festival is a one-day event, so plan to arrive early to make the most of it. Gates open at 2pm and the festival closes at 10pm.
Bring a personal hygiene item if you want the social ticket discount. And remember, people aged 60 and over get in free but must collect a ticket in advance.
The festival runs from 2pm to 10pm on Saturday 29 August 2026. In addition, tickets are available on Sympla, a Brazilian online platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Elas Festival Belo Horizonte 2026?
The Elas Festival Belo Horizonte takes place on Saturday 29 August 2026, from 2pm to 10pm. It is a one-day event at the Funarte MG Cultural Complex.
How much do tickets cost for the Elas Festival?
Full-price tickets cost R$30 (about US$6), while students and teachers pay R$15 (about US$3). A social ticket costs R$20 (about US$4) and requires donating a personal hygiene item.
Who performs at the Elas Festival 2026?
Four acts are confirmed: DJ Felinz, Sonora Samba, Trio Mana Flor and Juliana Linhares. No stage times have been published for any of them.
Is the Elas Festival free for seniors?
People aged 60 and over get in free, but they must still collect a ticket. This rule was announced by Funarte and repeated by Revista Encontro.
Connected Coverage
Sources: Funarte (gov.br); Revista Encontro; Sympla; Estado de Minas; Prefeitura de Belo Horizonte; Minas Um Luxo; Banco Central do Brasil.
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