Join Brasília's April 21 birthday on the Esplanada

The Brasília Palace, designed by Oscar Niemeyer and opened in 1958, was one of the first major buildings of the new capital and is recognized by the Ministry of Tourism as Brazil's first Historic Hotel. It reopened in 2006 after a fire in 1978 closed it for almost three decades, and it keeps panels by Athos Bulcão and…

Every Good Friday, Planaltina stages one of Brazil's largest open-air Passion plays on the Morro da Capelinha, with 14 stations along about 800 meters of the hill. The staging runs from the afternoon into the evening, and around 100 thousand people were reported there in recent years. Planaltina is outside the Plano…

The Teatro Nacional Cláudio Santoro, a Niemeyer building on the Eixo Monumental, reopened its Sala Martins Pena in December 2024 after more than ten years, and the Orquestra Sinfônica do Teatro Nacional plays there again. A report from August 2026 says its regular concert day is now Thursday, so check the programme…

The Clube do Choro de Brasília hosts live choro through the week, such as the midweek Choro Livre Convida nights, when the Regional Choro Livre plays with guests. On Saturdays the feijoada com samba starts at midday with live samba. Check the club's website for the week's lineup and tickets, and reserve a table, since…

The Feira do Guará began in the late 1960s as improvised stalls and now has more than 645 shops that support about 1,500 families. In 2026 the Legislative Chamber approved a bill to name it intangible cultural heritage of the Federal District. Look for pantry products such as Pará nuts, tapioca flour, cheeses, spices…

Praça do Cruzeiro, on the Eixo Monumental near the Memorial JK, sits at 1,172 meters, the highest point of the Plano Piloto, with an open horizon because few tall buildings block the view. A wooden cross there recalls the first mass held in the capital. Go in the dry season, from May to September, when dust in the air…

Across Lake Paranoá, the small Ermida Dom Bosco chapel, a Niemeyer design, looks back at the Plano Piloto, and the sun sets behind the main buildings of the axis. Arrive before sunset, because the car park fills on sunny weekends. Clear air from May to September gives the cleanest light. Wear firm shoes for the steep…

The Catetinho is the small museum in the house where Juscelino Kubitschek stayed while the capital was being built, between 1956 and 1959, and it is described as the predecessor of the Alvorada Palace. It lies south of the Plano Piloto on the road toward Gama, so allow extra travel time. Entry is free. Ask for the…