Pernambuco's Boi da Macuca block made its debut at São Paulo's pre-Carnival on Sunday (25), bringing frevo, forró, and xote to the streets around Sé. Featuring about 70 musicians, the procession drew a large crowd despite the rain. The event signals the group's first tour through Southeast states.
The Boi da Macuca procession turned São Paulo's narrow downtown streets into a slice of Brazil's Northeast on the afternoon of Sunday, January 25, 2026. Comprising about 70 artists, the frevo orchestra began the parade around 3 p.m., as light rain fell without dampening the spirits of the revelers. The day before, on Saturday (24), the Olinda-based group had already livened up Rio de Janeiro's center, marking its inaugural Southeast tour.
Paulo Reinaldo, a 53-year-old musician in the orchestra, shared his surprise and excitement: "For us, being here for the first time is wonderful. I didn't expect to see so many people waiting for Boi da Macuca. We're going to do a beautiful job here." The crowd gathered before 2 p.m., eager for the sound of cornets and trombones.
Bernado Lima, a 33-year-old from Pernambuco who has lived in São Paulo for nine years, joined the event and felt a sense of home: "It's a little piece of Pernambuco's Carnival that came here. Macuca is very special because it mixes a bit of forró with frevo." He plans to head to Olinda for the official Carnival.
Founded in 1989 in the rural area of Correntes in Pernambuco's Agreste region, the block aims to promote the boi dance and frevo, designated as a Cultural Point by the Ministry of Culture. São Paulo's pre-Carnival Sunday also marked the city's 472nd anniversary, with other blocks like Charanga do França and Vou de Táxi joining the festivities.
