Fortaleza Events, Things to Do and Festivals 2014 / 2015

(Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil)

Brazilians certainly enjoy a party and Fortaleza maintains a comprehensive list of things to do, with seasonal festivals reliably drawing the crowds. One of the biggest events in the city is the annual carnival (carnaval), although unlike most in Brazil, Fortaleza's week-long carnival is staged off-season, at the end of July.

The Fortaleza Carnival is known as simply the 'Fortal' and attracts some one and a half million festival-goers to the city each year, with visitors coming to enjoy the colourful processions, music and dancing, acrobatics, live entertainment and traditional 'Maracatu Cearense' dancers, where men wear flamboyant dresses and paint their faces black. Many of the activities and events take place around the beaches, which are often lined with food stalls and street performers.

Fortaleza Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

Although the carnival remains the principal event in Fortaleza, there are many further celebrations which are still extremely noteworthy and well worth attending. These include the Jazz and Blues Festival held each January, together with the Vida e Arte (Music and Art) festival, where Brazilian music predominates.

Each June, look out for the religious Festa Juninas (June Bonfire Festival), which is held throughout Brazil and sees a mixture of costumed parades, dancing, bonfires and fireworks, as locals pray to St. John in gratitude for the expected rainfall. In June, the Regata da Jangadas sailing regatta features traditional triangular fishing boats known as 'jangadas', racing between the Praia do Meireles and the Praia Mucuripe. On August 15th, the Festa de Lemanja / Yemanjá (Festival of the Goddess of the Sea) is a major event on the Umbanda religion calendar, being based at the Praia do Futuro (Futuro Beach) from midday onwards.

The Ceará Music festival dominates the middle of October in Fortaleza and this popular annual event includes both local and international pop and rock groups. Around 25,000 people come to attend the concerts, check out the fashion shows and dance in the dedicated music tents.