Rio Food Festivals: What’s Still On This August

Brazil · Food

Three food festivals in Rio this month range from a finished barbecue blowout to a free Texas BBQ this weekend. Here’s what’s actually on today and what’s ahead.

If you’re a foreign resident or visitor in Rio this weekend, your barbecue options are slim but not zero. The big churrasco festival, BBQ Sem Fronteiras, wrapped up yesterday with premium cuts and open bar.

Rio food festivals still to come

BBQ Sem Fronteiras took place on Saturday, 15 August 2026, from 13:00 to 21:00. It is not running today.

You can’t attend now, but knowing what happened helps you plan for future editions. The venue was Jockey Club Brasileiro at Praça Santos Dumont, 31, in Gávea.

Tickets ranged from R$90 for kids aged 6–11 to R$560 for adults, bought on Ingresse (ingresse.com). One report mentioned a price of R$520, which likely was an earlier lot.

No official US$ prices were published. An informal conversion at R$5.50/US$ would put R$560 at about US$102, but that’s not confirmed.

The event featured many chefs preparing grilled meats, including cupim with Korean seasoning and a whole lamb from Patagonia. An open bar with draft beer, wine, and cocktails was included, plus desserts by Carola Troisgros.

Expect a premium experience if it returns, as tickets were pricey. For now, your next churrasco chance is the Texas BBQ this weekend, which won’t cost you a cent for entry.

Texas BBQ: Free Churrasco This Weekend in Barra

The Texas BBQ festival runs from Friday, 21 August 2026, through Sunday, 23 August. It takes place at Shopping Metropolitano Barra in the West parking lot, near the Centauro store.

The address is Avenida Embaixador Abelardo Bueno, 1300, in Barra da Tijuca. Admission is completely free, as confirmed by both Veja Rio and Diário do Rio.

That means you can walk in without paying anything, though you might spend on food and drinks inside. Hours differ by day: Friday from 17:00 to 22:00, Saturday from 14:00 to 22:00.

Sunday from 14:00 to 21:00 per Diário do Rio; Veja Rio doesn’t specify the Sunday end time. It’s a fogo de chão style event, featuring slow-roasted meats over embers with various cuts at different stations.

You can also find draft craft beer (chope artesanal), other gastronomy options, and live music all weekend. Given the free entry and family-friendly vibe, this is a solid choice for expats and tourists.

Just get there early on Sunday to catch the full hours.

Mamma Mia!: Italian Food and Grape Stomping, But Dates Unclear

Mamma Mia! is an Italian food festival that brings pizzas, pastas, cheeses, cannoli, gelato, and wines.

It also includes shows and typical dances. Notably, it features a grape stomping (pisa da uva) experience for visitors.

The exact dates for this edition are not fully verified in the sources. O Globo only mentions it as part of a weekend lineup with a Friday–Sunday schedule.

It’s held at the Uptown complex in Barra, but the street address isn’t published in the articles. Opening hours are listed as Friday 17:00–00:00, Saturday 12:00–00:00, and Sunday 12:00–23:00.

However, without specific calendar dates, we cannot confirm if it’s running today. No entry price is published either, so don’t assume it’s free.

The grape stomping is a rare hands-on activity you won’t find at most Rio festivals, so it’s worth tracking down. For now, your safest bet is to treat this as a future option, not a today or this-weekend one.

Keep an eye on O Globo’s RioShow section for updates.

Feira do Podrão: Giant Coxinha and Oversized Snacks

If you’re into over-the-top street food, Feira do Podrão at Carioca Shopping in Vila da Penha is worth remembering. It features a 2 kg coxinha and a 1.20-meter hot dog, among other extravagant snacks.

The festival also has about 30 vendors, plus kids’ activities, DJs, and a samba circle (roda de samba). That makes it a fun outing for families.

However, the exact dates for this edition are not confirmed in the sources—only a generic Friday–Sunday schedule. Hours are listed as Friday 17:00–22:00, Saturday 14:00–22:00, and Sunday 14:00–22:00, but we don’t know if those apply to this specific weekend.

No entry price is published, so we can’t say if it’s free or not. The venue is Carioca Shopping in Vila da Penha, but the full street address isn’t given in the article.

You’ll need to look up the mall’s exact location separately if you decide to go. The giant coxinha is a Brazilian classic, and a 2 kg version is a sight to see.

Don’t plan your day around it until you confirm dates. Check O Globo’s RioShow or the shopping center’s social media for the latest.

Beyond Rio: Grape Harvest Festivals in the Region

If you’re willing to travel, there’s a famous Festa do Vinho e da Uva in Santa Teresa, Espírito Santo. Note it’s not in the city of Rio.

That festival ran from 7 to 9 August 2026, so it’s already finished as of today. It featured a grape stomping event with 500 kg of grapes, making about 250 liters of juice distributed free.

The event was free to enter, organized by the Lions Clube Santa Teresa Colibri, but it’s a 10-hour drive from Rio. There are no other grape harvest festivals in Rio with confirmed dates for August or September 2026 in our sources.

Keep checking local event listings if you want to catch the next pisa da uva experience closer to the city. For now, your realistic options are Texas BBQ for this weekend, and maybe Mamma Mia!

or Feira do Podrão if you can pin down dates. Always confirm hours and prices on official channels before heading out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• oglobo.globo.com
• oglobo.globo.com
• vejario.abril.com.br
• www.festaserrejota.com.br
• diariodorio.com

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