Street Parties in Rio de Janeiro – Cheap and Great Fun

The street parties in Rio de Janeiro are one of the better things this city has to offer when it comes to nightlife. It’s for free, it’s fun and it’s a little bit crazy. There are street vendors all over the place assuring a steady supply of fuel (beer and drinks). Not all of these parties are good though, especially during Carnival some of them can get painfully crowded, go to my Carnival Street Parties – Blocos section to read more about that. What I’m gonna talk about here is the parties that are all year round. Since it’s outside rain will of course more or less automatically cancel them. Be a bit careful in these crowds, I for one would never bring a camera with me. I have listed two of the parties below.

The Street Party in Lapa

Close to the aqueduct every Friday and Saturday (when it’s not raining!) there is a street party. Street vendors make sure that no throat run dry, young people gather on Avenida Mem de Sá and the small street that leads to the famous stairs of Lapa (it is called Rua Joaquim Silva) map. Many small bars and clubs are offering music in various forms, it’s crowded. I prefer to hang out in the outskirts where it’s more relaxed. They also close off a big part of Avenida Mem de Sá Fridays and Saturdays, this is a fairly recent addition and is a less dodgy alternative to the above mentioned Rua Joaquim Silva.

The Street Party in Gavea

Best days are Sunday, Monday and Thursday when students from the university PUC gather in front of the bar Hipódromo, Praça Santos Dumont 108 in Gávea map. There’s music and a quite dense crowd. Same as above: Rain = No party