Welcome to your São Paulo daily guide for Friday, March 20, 2026. Lollapalooza Brasil 2026 opens today at the Autódromo de Interlagos — Sabrina Carpenter, Deftones, Interpol, and Kygo headline a sold-out Day 1 that will reshape traffic across the southern zone through Sunday. On Avenida Paulista, the MASP offers its free Friday evening session from 18h with the Histórias Latino-Americanas programme in full swing, while the Pinacoteca’s seven-gallery Tayou show and the IMS photobook exhibition continue. Clara Ianni’s Sala de Vídeo at the MASP closes in three days. The Ibovespa closed yesterday at approximately 180,126 points after a late-session recovery, with the Selic now at 14.75%.
This is part of The Rio Times’ daily São Paulo daily guide coverage for expats and the international community.
Weather & What to Wear
What to wear
Friday is partly cloudy with a high of 26 °C and a 20% chance of rain — comfortable conditions for both the festival and Paulista gallery-hopping. For Lollapalooza, wear comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and bring a light rain layer just in case. The weekend improves sharply: Saturday reaches 28 °C with only 10% rain, and Sunday climbs to 29 °C — the warmest day of the week and ideal for outdoor plans.
Fri, Mar 20
26 °C
20% rain
Lollapalooza Day 1 — sunscreen essential
Sat, Mar 21
28 °C
10% rain
Festival Day 2 or Pinacoteca free Saturday
Sun, Mar 22
29 °C
10% rain
Warmest day — Ibirapuera or Lolla finale
Mon, Mar 23
28 °C
15% rain
IR filing begins — MASP closed Mondays
Day at a Glance
Quick scan
Lollapalooza Day 1: gates 11h, Sabrina Carpenter headlines 21h30, Autódromo de Interlagos
MASP free Friday 18h–20h30: Histórias Latino-Americanas programme across both buildings
Pinacoteca open: Tayou Knockout! across 7 galleries, Pina Luz. Wed–Mon 10h–18h
HIP-HOP 80’sp at Sesc 24 de Maio: final week, closes Mar 26. Free. Tue–Sat 9h–21h
Clara Ianni Sala de Vídeo at MASP closes Mar 23 — three days left
Rodízio: plates 9 and 0 restricted, centro expandido, 7h–10h and 17h–20h
The city splits today between Interlagos and Av. Paulista. Lollapalooza will dominate the southern zone through Sunday, with transport disruptions along the Linha 9-Esmeralda corridor. For those not heading to the festival, the MASP free evening and the Pinacoteca offer a quieter cultural alternative. Tomorrow is free Saturday at the Pinacoteca.
What to See & Do
What to see & do
Music
Lollapalooza Brasil 2026 — Day 1
Gates open at 11h. Friday headliners: Sabrina Carpenter (Palco Budweiser, 21h30), Deftones (Palco Samsung Galaxy, 20h10), Kygo (Palco Perry’s, 22h15). Also today: Interpol (18h), Doechii (19h05), Blood Orange (16h55), Negra Li (14h45), Viagra Boys (15h50). Day 1 tickets are sold out; Lolla Pass still available. Autódromo de Interlagos, Av. Sen. Teotônio Vilela, 261.
Museums
MASP — Free Friday Evening
Free admission 18h–20h30. The Histórias Latino-Americanas programme continues: Sandra Gamarra Heshiki Réplica (through Jun 7), La Chola Poblete Pop Andino (through Aug 2), Claudia Alarcón and Silät Viver Tecendo (through Aug 2), André Taniki Yanomami (through Apr 5), Abel Rodríguez (through Apr 5), Minerva Cuevas (through Apr 12). Clara Ianni Sala de Vídeo closes Mar 23. Regular hours Fri 10h–21h. R$85 inteira / R$42 meia before 18h. Av. Paulista, 1578.
Pinacoteca Pina Luz
Pascale Marthine Tayou’s Knockout! fills all seven galleries — the Cameroonian artist’s first institutional exhibition in Brazil, spanning sculptures, paintings, and installations across 25 years. Also: Macunaíma é Duwid at Pina Estação and Cristina Salgado’s monumental Octógono installation. Tomorrow is free Saturday. Wed–Mon 10h–18h. Praça da Luz, 2.
IMS Paulista
Two exhibitions on view: “O que elas viram” — a photobook show of 106 books curated with 10×10 Photobooks — and Agnès Varda’s photography exhibition (through Apr 12). Free admission. Tue–Sun 10h–20h. Av. Paulista, 2424.
Itaú Cultural — Game+
51 games across 25 consoles trace the history of video games as art and cultural force. Free. Tue–Sat 11h–20h, Sun 11h–19h. Av. Paulista, 149.
Last Chances
Sesc 24 de Maio — HIP-HOP 80’sp
Final week. Over 3,000 pieces tracing hip-hop culture in São Paulo, with collective curation by OSGEMEOS and KL Jay. Closes March 26. Free. Tue–Sat 9h–21h, Sun 9h–18h. Rua 24 de Maio, 109, República.
Getting Around
How to move
Rodízio: Friday — plates ending in 9 and 0 restricted in the centro expandido, 7h–10h and 17h–20h.
Lollapalooza transport: Linha 9-Esmeralda (CPTM) to Estação Autódromo is the official route. Metrô and CPTM run 24 hours throughout the festival weekend. Expect heavy congestion on Av. Interlagos and the Santo Amaro corridor from mid-afternoon.
Metrô: Trianon-MASP (L2-Green) for the MASP; Luz (L1-Red / L4-Yellow) for the Pinacoteca. No service disruptions reported.
Avoid: Driving to Interlagos. Use CPTM Linha 9 or ride-share drop-off points. Parking around the Autódromo will be saturated by early afternoon.
Where to Eat
Where to eat
Pre-MASP — A Casa do Porco
One of the world’s best restaurants, a short walk from the MASP. Pork-forward contemporary Brazilian cuisine. Book ahead for Friday dinner. Rua Araújo, 124, República.
Near the Pinacoteca — Mercado Municipal
The Mercadão is a 15-minute walk from the Pinacoteca. Traditional mortadella sandwiches, fresh tropical fruit, and pastéis de bacalhau. Open Mon–Sat 6h–18h, Sun 6h–16h. Rua da Cantareira, 306, Centro.
Jardins — Bráz Pizzaria
Post-gallery pizza in the Jardins. São Paulo-style wood-fired pies. Open from 18h. Rua Graúna, 125, Moema (multiple locations across the city).
Practical Info
Need to know
Imposto de Renda 2026: Filing period begins Sunday, March 23. Three days to prepare your documentation.
Pharmacies: Droga Raia and Drogasil across Jardins, Paulista, and Pinheiros. Many open 7h–22h. 24-hour branches on Av. Paulista and in major shopping centres.
UV index: 7 (high) despite partial cloud cover. Sunscreen essential for outdoor time, especially at Interlagos.
Emergency: SAMU 192, Polícia Militar 190, Bombeiros 193. Hospital das Clínicas (Cerqueira César), Hospital São Paulo (Vila Clementino).
Community & Lifestyle
Local life
Japan House continues on Av. Paulista with two exhibitions: “Imbuídos das forças das florestas do Japão — Mestres da carpintaria” and “Fluxos — o Japão e a água.” Free. Guided visits running through March 26. Av. Paulista, 52.
MAC USP inaugurates “O que temos em comum? Abstracionismos no MAC USP, 1940–1960” tomorrow — approximately 80 works of national and international abstraction from the museum’s collection. A strong weekend cultural option away from the festival crowds.
Centro Cultural Fiesp presents “Demonstra: Pela Poética Def” — a show centred on disabled artists as protagonists in contemporary art. Free. Tue–Sun 10h–20h. Av. Paulista, 1313.
Game Day
Game day
Brasileirão Round 7 — Thursday Results
Flamengo beat Remo 3–0 at the Maracanã. Grêmio defeated Vitória 2–0 in Porto Alegre. Chapecoense and Corinthians drew 0–0 in Chapecó. On Wednesday, Palmeiras beat Botafogo 2–1, Vasco edged Fluminense 3–2, Atlético-MG topped São Paulo 1–0, and Internacional beat Santos 2–1 at Vila Belmiro.
Standings: Palmeiras and São Paulo lead on 16 points after seven rounds. Bahia third on 14. Corinthians sit eighth on 8 points.
Seleção: Ancelotti’s squad for Brazil vs France (Mar 26, USA) includes Vinícius Jr, Raphinha, Endrick (Palmeiras academy), and Léo Pereira. Neymar was excluded.
Business & Markets
Market watch
Ibovespa: Closed Thursday at approximately 180,126 points (+0.27%), recovering from an intraday drop of nearly 2% on continued Middle East tensions. Hapvida led gains with a 12.8% surge.
USD/BRL: The dollar closed around R$5.22–5.24, retreating from an intraday high near R$5.31. The Banco Central sold US$1 billion in two simultaneous swap auctions.
Selic: 14.75% after Wednesday’s 0.25pp cut — the first reduction since May 2024. The Copom described the move as “calibration” rather than the start of a cycle, keeping April guidance deliberately open amid geopolitical uncertainty.
Fed: Held at 3.50%–3.75% on Wednesday (11-1 vote). Markets have now zeroed out expectations for any Fed cut in 2026.
Brent: Trading above US$104, with Middle East tensions continuing to drive energy prices higher. Petrobras raised diesel prices by R$0.38/litre last week.
Plan Ahead
Plan ahead
This Week
Saturday, Mar 21: Lollapalooza Day 2 — Chappell Roan, Skrillex, Lewis Capaldi headline. Free Saturday at the Pinacoteca. MAC USP opens abstraction show.
Sunday, Mar 22: Lollapalooza Day 3 — Tyler, The Creator, Lorde close the festival. 29 °C, mostly clear.
Monday, Mar 23: Imposto de Renda 2026 filing period begins. Clara Ianni Sala de Vídeo closes at MASP. MASP closed Mondays.
Coming Up
Mar 26: Brazil vs France friendly (USA). HIP-HOP 80’sp closes at Sesc 24 de Maio.
Apr 3: MASP opens Colectivo Acciones de Arte: democracia radical (through Aug 2).
Apr 5: André Taniki Yanomami and Abel Rodríguez close at MASP.
Apr 12: Minerva Cuevas closes at MASP. Agnès Varda closes at IMS.
Published by The Rio Times — your São Paulo daily guide for Latin American financial news, LATAM market analysis, and Brazil financial news in English.
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Related coverage: São Paulo daily guide for Thursday, March 19 | São Paulo daily guide for Saturday, March 14 | Rio de Janeiro daily guide for Friday, March 20