São Paulo – The cultural routes of Porto Alegre, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, are various and fit all tastes and budgets. Attractions range from local productions to international shows, as well as theatre festivals, dancing, recitals, concerts and exhibitions. The city has 13 cultural centres, 50 museums and memorials, over 30 theatres and 64 movie theatres.
According to the Secretariat for Tourism, the city receives an annual inflow of 1.5 million tourists who spend from US$ 80 to US$ 120 per day and come from different states of the country and abroad. Most of the foreign tourists are Argentineans, North Americans and Europeans.
"Over the last few decades, the city was on the spotlight due to its hosting of events such as the World Social Forum. In 2014, the event will probably become centralized again and should be held in Porto Alegre once more, says the municipal secretary for Tourism, Luiz Fernando Moraes. "It is an event that boosts the image of the city and has a connection with culture," he claims.
In January and February, a time of school holidays, theatre becomes popular entertainment with the Porto Verão Alegre (Porto Summer Alegre) summer project, which brings plays to virtually every theatre in the city and promotes the work of theatre groups based in the state.
Carnival in Porto Alegre lasts longer than most Brazilians know. The program starts on the First Friday of January and is repeated every Friday up until the eve of the official parades. The local sambadrome is 450 metres long and has capacity for roughly 16,000 people. The 14 samba schools in the special group use a 400-square-meter facility that is 25 metres tall to elaborate their costumes and cars during the year.
In late July, the Winter Festival is held in several theatres in the city – concerts and short courses with Brazilian and foreign artists and scholars. The main objective of the festival is exchange with musicians from other Mercosur countries.
In September, the city hosts Porto Alegre Em Cena (Porto Alegre On Stage), one of the leading theatre festivals in Latin America. For 20 days, regional, national and international theatre plays, dance performances and music concerts are featured in theatres and various venues, in the centre and outskirts of the city, with tickets at low prices.
From August until September, the Maurício Sirotsky Sobrinho Park turns into Acampamento Farroupilha (the Farroupilha Camp). The event is an opportunity to get in touch with the traditions of the state. Over the course of 20 days, approximately 400 local tradition centres (known as CTGs) set up booths in the park, and a full infrastructure of public services, food and stores is implemented to cater to a public of nearly 1 million. Local barbecue and cuisine prevail at the camp, which also becomes a stage for concerts and cultural projects.
In October and November, there is the Feira do Livro (Book Fair). One of the top cultural events in Southern Brazil and one of the country’s oldest, promoted since 1955, the fair is held outdoors, at the Alfândega Square, in the Historical Centre. The strong flow of people at the site also contributes to make it one of the leading fairs of the type in Latin America.
Featuring a varied cultural programme and prominent names of national and international literature, it has become one of the main popular events in the state.
Another major event in Porto Alegre is the Mercosur Visual Arts Biennial, which promotes integration between the bloc’s countries through Latin American art. Held in Porto Alegre since 1997, it usually takes place between September and November. Another feature of the biennial is the fact that it occupies several venues, such as cultural centres, the warehouses at the local Port, museums and other public spaces, enabling the access of thousands of people.
Infrastructure
Bathed by the Guaíba River, known for its beautiful sunsets, Porto Alegre also pleases those seeking sophistication. The neighbourhood of Moinhos de Vento (Portuguese for windmills) concentrates great restaurants, bars and nightclubs – proof of which is the fact that the Fernando Gomes Street was nicknamed the "Walk of Fame."
The city offers 14,000 beds in approximately 100 hotels and lodges. Another 4,000 beds are under construction and should be added within two or three years. In 2010, Porto Alegre had a hotel occupancy rate of 75% to 80%. "This extraordinary rate justifies investment in the segment," says the secretary.
Rua da Praia (literally Beach Street), in the centre of the city, features historical buildings such as Centro Cultural Érico Veríssimo. Casa de Cultura Mário Quintana (the Mário Quintana House of Culture), on Andradas Street, in a villa that was formerly the Majestic Hotel, offers 14 venues geared towards cinema, music, visual arts, dancing, theatre and literature.
Usina do Gasômetro, one of the best known cultural centres in the city, with its cafés, movie halls and cultural spaces that host lectures, theatre plays and concerts, by the banks of the Guaíba, offers one of the finest views of the city.
Choose the attraction that pleases you the most and have fun.
Information
Porto Alegre City Hall
Site: www.portoalegre.rs.gov.br
Porto Summer Alegre
Site: www.portoveraoalegre.com.br
Porto Alegre On Stage
Site: www.poaemcena.com.br
Farroupilha Week
Site: www.semanafarroupilha.com.br
Book Fair
Site: www.feiradolivro-poa.com.br
Mercosur Biennial
Site: www.bienalmercosul.art.br
Mário Quintana House of Culture
Site: www.ccmq.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
