São João in Rio: The Best Arraiás and Forró This Weekend

Rio de Janeiro · What’s On

São João in Rio turns the whole city into a winter party this weekend, as the festas juninas hit their first peak on Saint Anthony’s night. From a giant free arraial on the docks to the forró heartland of São Cristóvão, here is where to find the best of it from June 13 to 14.

The big one: Festa Junina da Gigante

The weekend’s headline arraial is the Festa Junina da Gigante at Porto Maravilha, in front of the Yup Star wheel, billed as the city’s largest and most traditional. It runs Friday to Sunday, June 12 to 14, with free entry.

Saturday and Sunday it opens from noon to 10pm, with forró and regional shows, quadrilha dancing, typical food and drink, games and artisan stalls. It is the easiest single stop if you want the full festa in one place.

São Cristóvão: the forró heartland

For the real thing year-round, head to the Centro Luiz Gonzaga das Tradições Nordestinas in São Cristóvão, Rio’s monument to Northeastern culture. Through June it hosts forró, nordestino trios, quadrilhas and typical food on weekends, including this one.

This is where Rio’s huge community from the Northeast gathers, and the energy shows it. Go hungry, and be ready to dance.

Quermesses across the city

Beyond the big names, free neighbourhood quermesses fill the weekend. There is a festa at Praça Tiradentes in Centro on Saturday June 13 from 6pm, and another in Botafogo, on Rua Bambina, on Sunday June 14 from 4pm.

What to eat and drink

Festa junina food is half the point. Look for canjica and pamonha made from corn, paçoca, pé-de-moleque and grilled cheese on a stick, washed down with warm quentão, the spiced cane-spirit drink that makes the winter night glow.

Most arraiás price plates cheaply and in cash, so bring small notes. The forró bands rarely stop, and the quadrilha — a playful mock-wedding square dance — is as fun to watch as to join.

Festa meets the World Cup

This year the party shares the weekend with football: Brazil open their World Cup against Morocco on Saturday evening, and the free Arena Copacabana fan zone screens the game on the beach. Many arraiás will have a screen up too.

That makes Saturday a rare double bill — forró before the match, football at kickoff, and back to the dancing after. Plan your route so you are not crossing the city at peak.

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