Art and Culture

Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, is a true cultural center in the heart of Brazil. The city boasts a rich diversity of cultural expressions, from music and dance festivals to art exhibitions and theater. The BH Carnival is one of the most anticipated events of the year, attracting revelers from all over the country and the world. With a musical variety ranging from samba to pop, including rock and MPB (Brazilian Popular Music), the BH Carnival offers entertainment for all tastes and ages.

Furthermore, the Belo Horizonte Cultural Center is a historical landmark that is intertwined with the very genesis of the city. With its century-old, neoclassical architecture, the building is a point of reference for the local cultural scene, hosting exhibitions, theatrical performances, and a variety of artistic events.

The opening of Saruê, a space dedicated to culture and music in Belo Horizonte, demonstrates the constant growth and renewal of the city's cultural scene. With an innovative and vibrant concept, Saruê promises to offer even more cultural options for residents and visitors of Belo Horizonte.



Business and Events

Belo Horizonte is the city where the music of Clube da Esquina and Uakti met the contemporary dance of the Corpo and Primeiro Ato groups. It's where the Galpão, Luna Lunera, and Giramundo groups were born, and the bands Sepultura, Skank, Pato Fu, and Jota Quest. It's where Carnival and the LGBT Pride Parade grew and became landmarks. Where Hilda Furacão from Roberto Drummond's work and the poetry of Rômulo Paes share space today with the manifestations of rap, skateboarding, and hip hop. Where young artists are inspired by the works of Alberto da Veiga Guignard, Yara Tupynambá, Inimá de Paula, and graffiti collectives. Where the violas and violins of the Philharmonic and Symphonic orchestras converse with the Minas Gerais drum of Tizumba, with the battles of the Santa Tereza Viaduct, and with the transgression of Marcelo Veronez and Iconili.

Already elected the city with the greatest interest in culture in Brazil (Datafolha, 2017), the capital of Minas Gerais currently has around 200 cultural spaces spread throughout all its regions. Among museums, cultural and reference centers, theaters, cinemas, libraries, and galleries, Belo Horizonte houses and exhibits its own culture, as well as the cultures of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and even the world. Culture is not limited to these spaces; it's possible to see it everywhere, including in the streets, underpasses, squares, and street corners. This openness has broadened opportunities and visibility for new talents, who begin their careers in public spaces, positioning the city as an important player in the democratization and renewal of the cultural landscape of Minas Gerais and Brazil.

From traditional snacks to haute cuisine, from bar snacks to hearty lunches cooked on wood-burning stoves, Belo Horizonte's culinary scene has transcended borders and pleases even the most sophisticated palates. The pleasure of dining in Belo Horizonte is linked to the pleasure of being well-received. You'll not only experience the best pork rinds and cheese bread in Brazil, but also discover flavors created by renowned chefs, recognized nationally and internationally, constantly improving their skills, renewing their knowledge, innovating, and finding inspiration. Everything you need for a casual and delicious lunch can be found here in Belo Horizonte. Other unmissable attractions for food lovers are the markets.

The most famous is the Central Market, which, for over nine decades, has been a must-see tourist attraction for visitors and a meeting point for city residents. The Old New Market has returned to Belo Horizonte's gastronomic tourism scene, with shops selling delicacies, restaurants, various breweries, drinks, heartwarming snacks, and many opportunities to see and be seen in the building's picturesque corridors. With 40 years of history, the Cruzeiro District Market stands out for its wide variety of products and activities, from fruit and vegetable sales to sophisticated gastronomy. Soon, a new meeting point for people and stories will be inaugurated: the Olhos d'água Market of Origin. The Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Region is emerging as a major producer of craft beer, boasting breweries that have won national and international awards. Belo Horizonte is the epitome of Minas Gerais flavors, embodied in the art of welcoming guests and enjoying fine dining at home, in bars, restaurants, fairs, and gastronomic festivals. It's a meeting point for families and friends, and its appeal extends to tourists and visitors alike. The city's gastronomy is truly surprising.

Architecture and Urban Planning

Hey! Architecture, Belo Horizonte, let's talk about Niemeyer, shall we? Of course! The greatest exponent of Brazilian modernist architecture, Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012) began working as an intern with Lúcio Costa and Le Corbusier. His first major individual project, which secured his renown in Brazil and worldwide, was the Pampulha Modern Ensemble, here in the capital of Minas Gerais. Unusual in themselves, Niemeyer's works are undeniably part of the DNA of this surprising horizon, but the city also holds other surprises for those passionate about architecture and urbanism in a capital planned to be avant-garde. And which has never stood still in time. With a striking diversity of styles, the architectural richness of Belo Horizonte ranges from rural to contemporary, passing through eclectic, art deco, neo-gothic, neoclassical, modernist and postmodernist. Since José de Magalhães's 1894 design for the building that would house the government headquarters—the Palácio da Liberdade, in the square of the same name—the land here has always been fertile ground for creativity.

Belo Horizonte was home to Brazil's first school of architecture, founded in the 1930s, and developed an identity that is both eclectic and unique. Mountains, green spaces, and buildings coexist here in a bold and welcoming way, a concept difficult to explain but immediately perceived by anyone familiar with the capital. While here, be sure to observe some aspects of the city, from the luxury of the classic Automobile Club to the unexpected indigenous faces sculpted on the facade of the Acaiaca Building – BH's oldest skyscraper – and the arches of the Santa Tereza Viaduct, which a courageous young Carlos Drummond de Andrade climbed more than once – a feat that cannot be replicated today, of course. These landmarks coexist with a contemporary Belo Horizonte, which sees more and more bicycles on its streets and walls decorated with all kinds of graffiti, from the simplest to the most elaborate.

Innovation, Integration and Technology

Belo Horizonte, a capital city where the use of creativity as a raw material for creating value and wealth is an asset present in daily life. Belo Horizonte is the second capital with the highest number of startups in Brazil, with 9.5% of the country's total technology companies (according to the 100 Open Startups Ranking, 2021), and the only one to house a Google engineering center in Latin America. Based on innovation and knowledge, it is among the most important ecosystems in the country and is characterized as one of the pillars of the city's economic development. Furthermore, Belo Horizonte is a knowledge hub, home to several higher education institutions, including the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), considered, according to the 2020 Folha de S. Paulo ranking, the best in Brazil in terms of teaching quality, and the 5th best in the world, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) Latin American ranking in 2021.

Another example is BH-TEC – Belo Horizonte Technology Park, a private, non-profit civil association of a scientific, technological, educational, and cultural nature, which functions as a business environment and houses companies dedicated to researching and producing new technologies, as well as public and private Research & Development centers. The capital of Minas Gerais has been making its technological infrastructure increasingly widespread and creating an extremely favorable environment for the development of Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Cities solutions. The capital of Minas Gerais is part of a digital transformation that improves the visitor experience, creates a dynamic environment that responds in real time, and offers a unique experience rich in information and that enhances the activity of local product and service companies.

The buildings listed as Municipal, State, and National Historical Heritage sites preserve the history of the construction and development of the capital, but also the lives of those who passed through and fell in love with it. In addition to Niemeyer's modern works in Pampulha, the group of listed heritage sites and public spaces also includes the Serra do Curral landscape, the Pipiripau Nativity Scene (delicacy defines this work created throughout the 20th century by the artisan Raimundo Machado, which brings together and synchronizes 586 moving figures, distributed across 45 scenes, that tell the story of the life and death of Jesus Christ, interwoven with the daily life of a city with its variety of arts and crafts), the Lavatory of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem, the Old Inn (home to the Free School of Arts), and the House of the Count of Santa Marinha, among others.

For those who are fans of historical tourism, several places offer a varied selection, such as the SESI Museum of Arts and Crafts, whose collection represents the world of work and arts in Brazil, with original pieces from the 18th to the 20th centuries; and its facilities occupy listed buildings of the old Railway Station in the center of Belo Horizonte.

Belo Horizonte combines cultural richness, a wide range of leisure and shopping options, vast and award-winning gastronomy, quality services, and a vibrant nightlife. All this, added to our famous Minas Gerais hospitality, forms the perfect setting for welcoming visitors. Here, hospitality embraces everyone. The city is affiliated with the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA), a world-leading organization dedicated to LGBT tourism. Through this partnership, the capital and its events/establishments geared towards this audience are included in the international LGBTQIA tourism calendar. Cosmopolitan and plural, the capital has one of the largest LGBTQIA circuits in Brazil (according to data from Guiya publishing house - the country's first LGBT communication network), with diverse opportunities for artistic presentations, performances and shows, tourist and gastronomic attractions that constantly draw crowds to the city.

Furthermore, the city boasts one of the largest LGBT Pride Parades in the country: 250,000 people participated in the 2019 edition. With numerous establishments catering to or frequented by the LGBTQIA community, such as bars, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, parties, shows, and shops, Belo Horizonte offers a wide range of places that embrace diversity. Thus, Belo Horizonte not only welcomes visitors but also maintains permanent spaces for discussion to advance as an LGBTQIA friendly destination. And more than that: a destination where everyone can be authentic. And since we're talking about respect, we also need to talk about accessibility. Welcoming visitors, regardless of the purpose of their trip, age, and specific needs, is to recognize the social importance and civic dimension of tourism. During Carnival 2020, all official stages had sign language interpreters, reserved spaces for people with reduced mobility, and the number of adapted portable toilets for people with disabilities was increased in street parades. Regardless of age or background, everyone can discover an amazing Belo Horizonte!