For lovers of art and design, São Paulo offers a unique combination of places that highlight Brazilian and international works in a variety of movements and ideas.
Although Rio de Janeiro often takes the top spot in travel guides, São Paulo has quietly emerged as Brazil's biggest cultural destination, drawing more visitors annually than Rio with more than 2.1 million visitors last year. The city's growing tourism sector shows a wide interest in its art scene, with recent data underlining this growth: attendance at the SP-Arte exhibition, one of Latin America's largest and most influential annual art fairs, increased from 26,000 in 2019 to 31,000 in -2023. .
“We're seeing an increase in tourists who are particularly interested in the new approaches Brazilian art is taking,” Lucio Gueller, São Paulo's tourism director, told the Observer.
São Paulo's art scene includes historic institutions, such as the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) and the Instituto Tomie Ohtake, alongside special spaces such as the Afro Brazil Museum. These spaces offer a broad exploration of Brazilian and international art, inviting visitors to interact with pieces ranging from contemporary installations to traditional works.
For those interested in the city's commitment to contemporary art, Pina Contemporânea, the brand new extension of the Pinacoteca de São Paulo, serves as an essential stop. Housed in a newly constructed building, this space focuses on contemporary Brazilian and international artists.
But art is not limited to museum walls in Sao Paulo—everywhere. Street art is a defining feature of the city's identity, offering striking murals—many covering entire skyscrapers—that attract visitors time and time again, demonstrating São Paulo's photographic prowess. Tourists can explore neighborhoods such as Vila Madalena, where visitors should visit the narrow street of Beco do Batman (which translates as “Batman's Alley”) with its colorful walls created by local and international artists.
“São Paulo is an important part of the Brazilian art story,” says André Vechi Torres, researcher and curator of the Rosewood São Paulo library. “The diversity here appeals to those seeking a deeper understanding of Brazilian art in a global context.”
Apart from the art scene, São Paulo has been attracting tourists (and chefs) from all over the world with its growing culinary scene, famous for its diverse restaurants, lively nightlife and vibrant shopping areas. And the city's role as Brazil's financial powerhouse also makes it a hub for business travelers; São Paulo's GDP makes up about a third of Brazil's total economy. Additionally, the Formula 1 Grand Prix has become an economic asset for the region with a record attendance of 267,000 this year; organizers expect to host more next year, which should greatly benefit the local hotel and restaurant industries.
This guide highlights some of the city's most important places in both the visual arts, design and cuisine, providing information for visitors who intend to navigate São Paulo's cultural scene and see the city's progressive contributions to the world.
