Thanks to its central location, Minas Gerais is often seen as a state that embodies the essence of Brazil. During Carnival, the capital, Belo Horizonte, lives up to this comparison. The city’s festivities offer attractions of all sorts, rhythms, and tastes, featuring parades for those who have experienced celebrations in cities like Recife, Salvador, Rio, and São Paulo.
Journalist, author, and cultural and gastronomy curator, Lorena Martins, shares a guide for enjoying Carnaval in Belo Horizonte. Besides the lively festivities, she highlights spots to eat and drink well, because recharging your energy is part of the package.
**Friday, February 28**
The official start of Carnival begins with the Fúnebre bloc. The parade moves down from Praça da Bandeira with many people dressed as Mexican skeletons, celebrating the renewal of life. It kicks off at midnight, but the gathering is set for 11 PM. The 2025 parade is inspired by the poem “Morte e Vida Severina” by João Cabral de Melo Neto, and the bloc delves into the stories of the sertanejo people, depicting their challenges, resilience, and strength. It’s one of the few blocs that take place later in the evening.
**Saturday, March 1**
On Saturday, the Então Brilha bloc takes place, always marking the official start of Belo Horizonte’s Carnival. The gathering occurs at sunrise, and in 2025, the meeting point is at Avenida do Contorno and Rua Curitiba in the city’s center. The band’s repertoire includes a mix of axé, Brazilian music, and original compositions. Celebrating its 15th year, Então Brilha will feature special guest performance by Pernambuco singer Duda Beat, promising even more revelers.
For lunch, Cervejaria Octopus in Savassi will be open during Carnival. On the 1st, it operates from 11:30 AM to midnight with lunch served until 3 PM, offering options like eggplant parmesan with mashed potatoes and veggie white sauce, and grilled ancho steak with chimichurri, rice, and fries. Though closed on Sunday, they open from Monday to Wednesday at 4 PM, serving until midnight with over 17 taps of craft beers.
Later that afternoon, the Bloco da Calixto, led by Aline Calixto, a prominent local sambista, hits the streets. Celebrating its 10th parade, it offers an eclectic setlist from axé and samba classics to 1980s hits, and songs by significant female artists. Notably, this was the first women-led bloc at BH’s Carnival. This year, the parade will be along Avenida Amazonas, with the gathering starting at the corner of Rua São Paulo at 1 PM to warm up the crowd and band until the scheduled start at 2 PM.
**Sunday, March 2**
Sunday features the traditional Beijo do Wando, highlighting romantic music with a touch of kitsch. The 2025 theme is “Quero vê-la sorrir,” inspired by Sidney Magal’s “Sandra Rosa Madalena.” This theme connects two elements that define this carnival project: female empowerment and the nostalgic aspect of Brazilian popular music. Special guests include members of the Fat Family. The parade gathers at 9 AM, starting from 1245 Avenida Brasil, moving towards Avenida Brasil, 845 – Santa Efigênia.
In the afternoon, the Bloco Fofoca brings reinterpretations of the northern Brazilian rhythm carimbó to BH Carnival, revising it with Paraense rhythm and a touch of Minas flair, promoting awareness on the rights of Amazonian peoples and forest preservation as vital for climate change mitigation. The gathering is set at 1 PM on Rua Aarão Reis, 554 (in front of Serraria Souza Pinto), with the parade starting at 2 PM.
**Monday, March 3**
Monday morning features the bloco Daquele Jeito, showcasing classic axé and pagode hits from artists like Xanddy Harmonia, Ivete Sangalo, Léo Santana, Tony Salles, and Psirico, with gatherings starting at 9 AM on Rua da Bahia, number 1759, and the parade at 10 AM.
Looking for a place to eat, drink, and rest after parading? Now you have one! Temporarily closed, Forno da Saudade reopens for Carnival, hosting parties, events, and musical attractions. Situated in Carlos Prates, it will host the electronic party Love Paranoia on Monday at 4 PM. The bar offers Viela brewery beers, cocktails, and Jambrunão, named the 2025 Carnival drink of Belo Horizonte, made with artisanal guaraná, jambu, cachaça, and orange. Italian pizzas by chef Henrique Gilberto will be available. Forno da Saudade, located at Rua Patrocínio, 1 – Carlos Prates, has programs every Carnival day.
That Monday, Bar Pirex in Galeria São Vicente, Praça Raul Soares, in the center, will have a special menu with practical portions for those taking a break between parades. Dishes like corações skewer with farofa, coxinha, rissole, shrimp pie, tropeiro, and roast beef sandwich—chef Caio Soter’s tip—will be available from 2 PM to 9 PM. The house advises, “If your favorite portion isn’t there, try something new—Carnaval is about new passions.”
**Tuesday, March 4**
This year, the Juventude Bronzeada bloc pays tribute to Fernanda Torres at the Oscars. On Tuesday morning, it features timeless axé led by the sensational Pri Glenda. With the theme “A Vida Presta,” the parade honors acclaimed Oscar nominee actress Fernanda Torres, and fans are rooting for her win. Accompanied by rapper FBC, the parade starts at 9 AM on Avenida Assis Chateaubriand, Floresta.
**About Lorena Martins**
Lorena Martins is a journalist, author, and curator of culture and gastronomy. She works at O Tempo newspaper and shares global food insights on the “Gastrô” podcast, available on Spotify and 91.7 FM radio. She directed the documentary “Três Marias,” released in 2023, honoring three matriarchs of Minas cuisine: Maria Stella Libânio (1918-2011), Dona Lucinha (1932-2019), and Nelsa Trombino (1938-2023).
Lorena curated the 2022, 2023, and 2024 editions of Belo Horizonte’s Virada Cultural and curated female gastronomy editions for the Projeto Aproxima festival. She writes, promotes, and elevates initiatives showcasing female leadership in the kitchen, like the “Mapas das Minas” for the BH Gastronomy Biennale, and authored the article “Cozinha mineira: sabores e saberes de um alicerce feminino” for the “Cozinha Mineira Patrimônio” project.
In addition, the South of Minas has gained a geographical indication for its wine production.
