Rio de Janeiro Nightlife Guide for Sunday, March 22, 2026

Guitar · Acoustic · Intimate

Sunday at the Blue Note Rio is a different animal — a single session at 7 pm, a smaller crowd, and the kind of listening room atmosphere that the weekday double bills can’t offer. Tonight it is Embaralhando 7, the seventh edition of a project that pairs two guitarists in unscripted musical dialogue. Leo Pinheiro and Sérgio Chiavazzoli bring decades of experience across Brazilian popular music, jazz and improvisation to a Copacabana stage where the acoustic quality of the room does the work. The daytime started with the Blue Note’s almoço bossa nova from noon — Sunday brunch with live music, the house opening from 1 pm on Sundays. The calçadão bar stays open through the evening. Tickets via Eventim. Metro Cardeal Arcoverde or Siqueira Campos.

Samba · Botequim · Free

Sunday at Beco do Rato is the gentlest version of the bar — open from noon to 9 pm, samba de raiz in the afternoon light, the Lapa alleyway at its most relaxed. The Sunday crowd is smaller and mellower than the Saturday night regulars: families, couples, and samba devotees who come for the music rather than the scene. No cover. The early close at 9 pm means you can pair this with an evening at the Blue Note or a Copacabana boardwalk sunset. Card inside, cash or PIX at the door.

Botequim · Late Kitchen

With Rio Scenarium and Carioca da Gema both dark on Sundays, Nova Capela becomes Lapa’s anchor by default — and it has been filling that role since 1903. The kitchen runs late, the cabrito assado is the signature order, and the bolinhos de bacalhau are as good on Sunday as any other night. Right on Mem de Sá, it pairs naturally with a Beco do Rato afternoon and a Blue Note evening. No cover, no reservation needed.

Beachfront · Open Air

On a 28 °C Sunday evening with 5 % rain, the Copacabana boardwalk is the best venue in the city. The beachfront kiosks between Blue Note Rio and Bip Bip stay open late — grab a caipirinha, sit on the promenade, watch the waves under the lights. The calçadão walk from the Blue Note south toward Leme is one of Rio’s great evening strolls. Bip Bip (R. Almirante Gonçalves, 50) may have an informal sidewalk roda — check day-of.

CANCELLED

CANCELLED. The Cypress Hill show at Vivo Rio, originally scheduled for tonight (Sun March 22, doors 19h, show 21h), has been cancelled. The official Vivo Rio website confirms the cancellation with full refunds including service fees via Ticketmaster. This was teased across our guides all week as the weekend’s hip-hop highlight — we are reporting the cancellation immediately upon confirmation. If you purchased tickets, contact Ticketmaster’s support centre for reimbursement details.

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