São Paulo Prepares Largest New Year's Eve Celebration

The São Paulo City Hall will deliver what it describes as the largest New Year's Eve celebration in history to anyone on Avenida Paulista starting at 13:30 on December 31. The traditional New Year's Eve party will feature nine attractions across 14 hours of shows and a 15-minute silent fireworks display, which represents the largest ever recorded in the event's history. The program is free, suitable for the entire family, and anticipates the circulation of 8 million people.

Among the names that will animate the party are Colo de Deus, Frei Gilson, Padre Marcelo Rossi, João Gomes, Belo, Maiara and Maraisa, Ana Castela, Simone Mendes, and Latino. The artistic curation considered requests and research on the most consumed genres by the public, which point to sertanejo and forró as the preferred musical rhythms in São Paulo, gathering 54% of the preference of Paulistanos, followed by gospel music with 21%, with highlights for pagode and samba.

For the shows, the structure will include a 17-meter by 20-meter stage, an LED scenic panel, and ten video towers along Paulista that will transmit 14 hours of uninterrupted music. The program begins with religious artists, a genre that has been gaining strength in the capital. The event will also feature an exclusive area for people with disabilities on the main stage of Avenida Paulista.

Throughout the programming, the event will also include services and protection actions, including the Não Se Cale protocol, assistance to women in situations of violence, action by the Procon Paulistano, and expanded actions at strategic points in the city, in addition to activities aimed at the homeless population.

To guarantee the safety and functioning of the party, the São Paulo City Hall set up an integrated operation involving security, health, urban cleaning, and mobility. The Polícia Militar will employ 1,950 police officers at the Paulista New Year's Eve, with support from drones, undercover police, observation towers, and 200 cameras with facial recognition. The Guarda Civil Metropolitana will reinforce patrols with more than 1,100 agents and support from the 9,000 cameras of the Smart Sampa system.

Urban cleaning will have 550 agents dedicated exclusively to Paulista on New Year's Eve night, with the use of recycled water and reinforcement for selective collection. In the health area, the event will have seven medical posts distributed along the avenue, in addition to ambulances, mobile ICUs, integration with 24-hour units, and a Situation Room that monitors, in real time, all occurrences via Smart Sampa.

Mobility will also have a special scheme on December 31: the operation will include 500 buses, 46 lines, and more than 70 SPTrans technicians in the field. The CET will mobilize 290 agents, 90 vehicles, and 1,400 barriers for the necessary closures of the São Silvestre and New Year's Eve events.

Due to the realization of the São Silvestre race, the Catholic New Year's Eve, and the Paulista New Year's Eve, the São Paulo City Hall will adopt an exceptional change in traffic. In addition to Avenida Paulista, Alameda Santos and Alameda São Carlos do Pinhal will also be completely closed. The blockades will start at midnight on December 31 and continue until the early morning of January 2, guaranteeing more safety and fluidity for the public.

Regional hospitals will have preserved access through special and reversible lanes, in an integrated operation of CET, Polícia Militar, and GCM. According to a survey by FGV conducted in November 2025, the estimated public is composed of 70.7% residents of the capital and 29.3% tourists and excursionists. The movement generated by the event should result in more than 9,000 jobs, between direct and indirect.

The schedule indicates that people should use light clothes and comfortable shoes to enjoy the attractions with comfort. In addition, they should stay hydrated during their stay at the event, considering the typical heat of the time. For those who want to be in the colors of the new year, the event organization suggests wearing silver and gold.

The event schedule begins at 13:30 with Colo de Deus, one of the main Brazilian Catholic groups. Next comes Frei Gilson, a phenomenon of religious music, and Padre Marcelo Rossi, a historic name in gospel music. João Gomes takes the stage at 17:20, bringing piseiro and electronic forró. At 18:40, Belo performs with a repertoire of the main pagode songs. In the sertanejo genre, three attractions are scheduled: Maiara and Maraisa at 20:00, followed by Ana Castela at 21:30. At 23:20, Simone Mendes takes the stage and will perform the countdown to the new year. Latino will close the event at 01:40.

Earlier in the day, the 100th edition of the International São Silvestre Race will take place, bringing together 55,000 athletes from 48 countries. Starting at 8:00, DJ KVSH will perform in the region with a show open to the public.