Rio de Janeiro Nightlife Tonight: Tinariwen and Emicida Free at MIMO, September 20, 2026

Rio de Janeiro · Nightlife

Tonight, Sunday 20 September 2026, Lapa’s samba houses rest while free festival music fills the Circo Voador. All times below are Rio time, four hours behind London.

What’s On Tonight in Lapa

The MIMO Festival holds its Sunday programme at the Circo Voador, with free entry and no tickets. DJ Machintal opens at 6 p.m., and Bianca Gismonti and Manuel de Oliveira play at 6.30 p.m.

The Portuguese rapper Capicua takes the stage at 8 p.m., with Emicida as her special guest. Tinariwen, the desert blues band from Mali, close the night at 10 p.m.

Entry is by order of arrival and subject to capacity, and the doors close once the venue is full. Arriving before Capicua is the safest way to see both headline acts.

MIMO also screens free music documentaries at the Cine Santa Teresa, Rua Paschoal Carlos Magno 136. Dona Onete – Meu Coração Neste Pedacinho Aqui shows at 6 p.m.

The last session, at 8 p.m., is Apopcalipse Segundo Baby, Rafael Saar’s film on Baby do Brasil. It runs 109 minutes, and seats go in order of arrival.

The Last Day of ArtRio

ArtRio, the international art fair, closes its 2026 edition today at the AXIA Marina da Glória. Doors are open from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Today’s talks include a 4 p.m. session with the carnival designers Leonardo Bora, Gabriel Haddad and Leandro Vieira. A conversation on urban art follows at 6 p.m.

First-batch tickets cost R$100 (about US$19) full price and R$50 (about US$10) half price, through GoDream. The fair warns that sales may close if the venue reaches capacity.

The Centro Cultural Lavradio, at Rua do Lavradio 15, is open free from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It belongs to the Semana de Arte do Rio, which runs until 27 September.

Food and Football

Rio Gastronomia fills the Jockey Club Brasileiro in Gávea from noon to 11 p.m. Pretinho da Serrinha closes the festival’s first weekend with a set at 7.30 p.m.

Second-batch tickets for today cost R$100 (about US$19) full price and R$50 (about US$10) half price on Ticketmaster. Children up to age ten enter free, and festival dishes cost R$30 (about US$6).

Flamengo host Red Bull Bragantino at the Maracanã at 6.30 p.m., in round 28 of the Brasileirão. Flamengo lead the table with 57 points, and the club sells tickets online.

General-sale tickets in the Flamengo sectors cost R$120 (about US$23) to R$220 (about US$43), or half that with meia-entrada. Expect crowded trains and roads around the stadium before kick-off and after the final whistle.

What the Weather Will Do to Your Evening

Climatempo forecasts 16 to 29 degrees Celsius today, with clouds building through the afternoon. Showers are expected tonight, with a 54 per cent chance, and Alerta Rio also forecasts light rain after dark.

Temperatures ease from about 27 degrees at 6 p.m. to 23 degrees by 10 p.m. The forecast gives just over one millimetre of rain an hour through the evening, so pack a light rain jacket.

Sunset falls at 5.48 p.m. Gusts from the north-northeast could reach 34 kilometres an hour, which matters most on the waterfront and open squares.

What Is Closed and When It Returns

Carioca da Gema is closed tonight, as its published week runs Tuesday to Saturday. It reopens on Tuesday 22 September with Três a Varejo, doors 7.30 p.m., with tickets from R$25 (about US$5).

Rio Scenarium publishes opening hours for Wednesday to Saturday only, so it is closed tonight. The free roda at the Pedra do Sal plays tomorrow, Monday, from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Where to Go

Money and How Paying Works

We convert at 5.1575 reais to one US dollar, the PTAX sell rate the Banco Central published for Friday 18 September. The spot dollar closed that day slightly lower, at 5.145 reais.

The MIMO concerts and films are free and need no ticket or registration. They fill on a first-come basis, so arriving early is the only thing that helps.

Bars usually add a service charge of about 10 per cent, called serviço. It is optional under Brazilian consumer rules, and staff remove it if you ask.

Getting Home Safe

Tinariwen start at 10 p.m. in Lapa, so plan the ride home before you arrive. Check the last train for your own line on the MetrôRio site before you set out.

Rideshare is the reliable way out of Lapa late on a Sunday. Book from inside the venue and wait in a lit, busy spot.

Wet streets and the Maracanã crowd can slow traffic across the city this evening. Allow extra time, and keep your phone in a pocket on quiet streets.

Santa Teresa’s streets are steep and winding, and walking down after dark is best avoided. A car to and from the Cine Santa Teresa is the simpler choice.

More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is free in Rio tonight?

MIMO is free at the Circo Voador, with Capicua and Emicida at 8 p.m. and Tinariwen at 10 p.m. The festival’s films at the Cine Santa Teresa are free too, with the last session at 8 p.m.

How do I get into the MIMO Festival?

Just turn up, because entry is free and there are no tickets. Places go in order of arrival, and the doors close once the venue is full.

Is Carioca da Gema open tonight?

No, the house publishes a Tuesday-to-Saturday week and is closed on Sunday and Monday. It reopens on Tuesday with Três a Varejo, with tickets from R$25 (about US$5).

What time does ArtRio close today?

ArtRio’s final day runs from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the AXIA Marina da Glória. First-batch tickets cost R$100 (about US$19) full price and R$50 (about US$10) half price.

Will it rain tonight?

Climatempo forecasts evening showers, with a 54 per cent chance of rain and 16 to 29 degrees. Expect about 24 degrees at 8 p.m. and 23 degrees at 10 p.m.

What is on tomorrow?

The free roda at the Pedra do Sal plays from 7 p.m. to midnight, as it does every Monday. Carioca da Gema and Rio Scenarium stay closed until later in the week.

Sources: Rota Cult on the MIMO programme and times; Omelete on the MIMO films at the Cine Santa Teresa; Vertentes do Cinema on Apopcalipse Segundo Baby; ArtRio, dates, hours and address; Diário do Rio on ArtRio tickets; O Fluminense on Sunday’s programme; Ticketmaster, Rio Gastronomia tickets, hours and shows; Diário do Rio on Rio Gastronomia hours; Partiu Rota on the Rio Gastronomia shows; Flamengo on tickets for Red Bull Bragantino; Diário do Rio on Flamengo v Bragantino; Rota Cult on the Centro Cultural Lavradio; Carioca da Gema, events and house information; Três a Varejo on Zig; Rio Scenarium, published opening hours; Riotur on the Pedra do Sal roda; Climatempo forecast for Rio de Janeiro; Alerta Rio forecast; Banco Central PTAX close, 18 September 2026; InfoMoney on the 18 September dollar close.

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