Rio de Janeiro Nightlife Tonight — September 24, 2026
Rio de Janeiro · Nightlife
If You Only Go to One Place
Samba da Constituição at Carioca da Gema
Thursday is the last night of the week at the lower midweek price in Lapa. Doors open at 7.30 p.m., the main show starts at 8.30 p.m., and entry is R$30 (about US$6).
Tonight at a Glance
- —Samba da Constituição · Carioca da Gema Doors 7.30 p.m., show 8.30 p.m., entry R$30 (about US$6).
- —No description published The house names tonight’s act but says nothing more about it.
- —Last cheap night The price rises to R$35 (about US$7) from tomorrow.
- —Tables The house holds reserved tables until 9 p.m., then releases them.
- —Age The ticket page sets 18 as the minimum, with under-18s admitted only alongside a parent or legal guardian.
- —Tomorrow Família Moadir, main show 10 p.m. The house site and the ticket page disagree on doors, 7.30 p.m. against 8.30 p.m.
- —Arts week ends Sunday The Semana de Arte do Rio closes on 27 September.
Tonight, Thursday 24 September 2026, Lapa runs its last night at the midweek price before the weekend rate begins. All times below are Rio de Janeiro time, four hours behind London while British Summer Time lasts.
What’s On Tonight
Carioca da Gema lists Samba da Constituição tonight. Doors open at 7.30 p.m. and the main show at 8.30 p.m., the times the house prints on its ticket page.
The house publishes the name and the ticket link, and nothing further about the group. No repertoire or line-up appears on either page.
Other acts this month have arrived the same way, with a name and no description. Expect a samba evening in the house style rather than a specific programme.
Entry tonight is R$30 (about US$6), the published rate for Tuesday to Thursday. The house sells through Zig, linked from its own event page.
Reserved tables are held only until 9 p.m., half an hour after the show starts. After that the house releases them to anyone waiting.
The ticket page gives a minimum age of 18, and admits under-18s only when a parent or legal guardian comes with them.
Tonight Is the Last Night at the Midweek Price
This house runs two prices rather than one per artist. Tuesday to Thursday costs R$30 (about US$6), and Friday and Saturday cost R$35 (about US$7).
The eve of a public holiday also costs R$35 (about US$7). Tonight is not one, so the midweek rate applies.
The gap is small in money and larger in atmosphere. Midweek nights are quieter, the tables are easier and the crowd is more local.
That pricing is unusual in Lapa, where most rooms charge by the night’s act. It tells you the house is selling the room and the tradition rather than the poster.
For a visitor with one free evening, Thursday is the sweet spot. It is the last night of the week that buys the same room at the lower rate.
The Weekend Ahead
Friday brings Família Moadir, the patriarch Mr Moadir with his sons Márcio Sorriso and Marquinhos Ferreira.
They play Cartola, Nelson Cavaquinho, Roberto Ribeiro and Paulinho da Viola. Zeca Pagodinho, Arlindo Cruz, Xande de Pilares and Dudu Nobre follow.
Friday’s times are the one thing worth checking again before you go. The house website gives doors at 7.30 p.m., a first set at 8 p.m. and the main show at 10 p.m.
Its own Zig ticket page for the same night gives doors at 8.30 p.m. and the show at 10 p.m. The 10 p.m. main show is the only figure both agree on.
Saturday brings JP Silva, root samba and swing carioca, with doors at 8.30 p.m. and the show at 10 p.m. The house publishes no Sunday or Monday shows.
It reopens on Tuesday 29 September with Samba d’Jorge, de Jorge Barbosa. That set covers Martinho da Vila, Zeca Pagodinho, Djavan, Gilberto Gil and Fundo de Quintal, with retro pagode.
The Arts Week Closes on Sunday
The first Semana de Arte do Rio runs from 16 to 27 September. This is therefore its last full weekend, and the last one with free daytime programming on Rua do Lavradio.
The Centro Cultural Lavradio opens Wednesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at number 15. Entry is free, and those extended hours are billed as running for the festival.
It sits a short walk from the samba house, in an 1874 townhouse. That combination of a free afternoon and a cheap evening does not usually exist on the same street.
What the Venues Do Not Publish
Tonight’s repertoire and line-up are published nowhere, neither on the house site nor on the ticket page. Check the ticket page if more detail appears later.
Friday’s door time does not reconcile. The house website gives 7.30 p.m. and its own ticket page gives 8.30 p.m.
Take 8.30 p.m. as the arrival both sources agree on. The main show is at 10 p.m.
Rio Scenarium at Rua do Lavradio 20 lists Thursday hours of 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. on its own site. It should therefore be open tonight, though it publishes no act or price.
Where to Go
Carioca da Gema — Lapa
A samba house on Avenida Mem de Sá, running since 2000. The room is small and the tables sit close to the stage.
- TonightSamba da Constituição. Doors 7.30 p.m., main show 8.30 p.m.
- EntryR$30 (about US$6) Tuesday to Thursday, R$35 (about US$7) Friday and Saturday.
- TomorrowFamília Moadir. House site: doors 7.30 p.m., sets 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; ticket page: doors 8.30 p.m., show 10 p.m.
- SaturdayJP Silva. Doors 8.30 p.m., show 10 p.m.
- TablesHeld for reservations until 9 p.m., then released.
- Age18 and over. Under-18s only with a parent or legal guardian.
- AddressAvenida Mem de Sá 79, Centro. Metro Cinelândia, then a short walk.
Centro Cultural Lavradio — Centro, daytime
An 1874 townhouse on Rua do Lavradio, open for the city’s first arts week. It is a free daytime stop near the samba house.
- HoursWednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., during the arts week.
- CostFree entry.
- Until27 September, when the festival closes.
- AddressRua do Lavradio 15, Centro. Metro Cinelândia, then a short walk.
Money and How Paying Works
Figures convert at about 5.1414 reais to the dollar. That is the Banco Central PTAX closing sell rate for Wednesday 23 September, the last business day before today.
Entry is a fixed price rather than a per-artist one. Food and drink are billed separately, at the table.
Bars usually add a service charge of about 10 per cent, called serviço. Brazilian law makes it optional, and staff remove it if you ask.
What This Means for Your Evening
Tonight buys you the house at the week’s lower price. If you were weighing Thursday against Friday, this is the cheaper and quieter of the two.
With a reserved table, arrive before 9 p.m. The house releases reservations at that point, whatever your ticket says.
Because the house names no repertoire tonight, treat it as a samba evening rather than a concert. That is how the regulars use it.
Getting Home Safe
The ticket page gives tonight’s event running to 12.30 a.m., and the metro runs only to midnight from Monday to Saturday. 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 in the evening. Book from inside the venue and wait in a lit, busy spot.
Keep your phone in a pocket on the quieter streets around Mem de Sá. The avenue stays busy, and the side streets do not.
The house plays again tomorrow and on Saturday, so a missed Thursday still leaves the weekend.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does tonight’s show start?
Doors open at 7.30 p.m., the main show begins at 8.30 p.m., and reserved tables are released at 9 p.m.
How much does it cost?
Entry is R$30 (about US$6) tonight, the last night at the midweek rate. Friday and Saturday cost R$35 (about US$7).
Is there an age limit?
The ticket page sets a minimum age of 18. Under-18s are admitted only when a parent or legal guardian comes with them.
Who is Samba da Constituição?
The house names the act but publishes no description of it. Check the ticket page for details.
What is on this weekend?
Família Moadir on Friday and JP Silva on Saturday, both with a 10 p.m. main show. The arts week on Rua do Lavradio also closes on Sunday.
Sources: Carioca da Gema, programme, times and prices, retrieved 24 September 2026, Samba da Constituição tickets on Zig, Família Moadir tickets on Zig, Carioca da Gema on Sympla, house since 2000, Rio Scenarium, opening days and hours, Prefeitura do Rio, Semana de Arte do Rio, 16 to 27 September, Centro Cultural Lavradio, dates, hours and free entry, Banco Central do Brasil, PTAX close 23 September 2026
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