The Rio Times · Nightlife Desk
“Brasil Pandeiro” brings Gil and João Bosco to Blue Note Rio · Bip Bip holds its Sunday samba roda · MAM Rio Carmen Portinho closes today · 29°C, clear skies
01
Tonight’s Vibe Menu
Sunday in Rio de Janeiro trades the late-night circuit for the long afternoon — the city’s rhythm slows, the bars open earlier, and the music shifts from performance to gathering. The Blue Note Rio runs a full Sunday programme starting with the free bossa nova trio from midday — three sets of Tom Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes and the canonical songbook on the Copacabana beachfront calçadão, no cover, no ticket. At 7 pm, the Mês das Mulheres programme presents Thaís Motta and Luiz Brasil with “Brasil Pandeiro,” a concert of contrasts featuring percussion by Naife Simões — arrangements of Gilberto Gil‘s “Expresso 2222” and João Bosco and Aldir Blanc‘s “O Ronco da Cuíca” reimagined to celebrate the depth and range of Brazilian rhythm. Single session at 19h. Tickets via Eventim. This is part of The Rio Times’ daily Rio de Janeiro nightlife coverage for expats and visitors. In Copacabana, the Bip Bip holds its weekly Sunday samba roda from 8 pm — the second of the week’s two samba nights (Thursday and Sunday). In Lapa, the Beco do Rato runs its Sunday feijoada from 11 am with live samba through the afternoon — the kind of session that starts at lunch and ends at sunset. Rio Scenarium and Carioca da Gema are both dark on Sundays. The MAM Rio presents the final day of the Carmen Portinho retrospective — the architect who shaped modern Rio. Clear skies — 29°C, 0% rain. The best day since the rain began.
MPB · Brasil Pandeiro · Mês das Mulheres
Blue Note Rio —
Thaís Motta · Brasil Pandeiro
→ Copacabana · Av. Atlântica, 1910 · 7 pm · Bossa trio free from noon
Samba · Sunday Roda · Free
Bip Bip —
Roda de Samba · Sunday
→ Copacabana · R. Almirante Gonçalves, 50 · 8 pm · Free
Feijoada · Samba de raiz · Afternoon
Beco do Rato —
Sunday Feijoada + Samba
→ Lapa · R. Joaquim Silva, 11 · From 11 am · Feijoada ~R$45
Architecture · Last day · Free
MAM Rio —
Carmen Portinho · Final Day
→ Flamengo · Av. Infante Dom Henrique, 85 · 10 am–6 pm · Free
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Top Picks Today
Fast scan
1
Blue Note Rio — Thaís Motta · Brasil Pandeiro · 7 pm
Av. Atlântica, 1910 – Copacabana · Tickets via Eventim · “Expresso 2222” + “O Ronco da Cuíca” · Mês das Mulheres
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Blue Note Rio — Sunday Bossa Nova Trio · Free from Noon
12:00 pm · Calçadão – Copacabana · Three sets of bossa nova · No cover · Almoço service from 12 pm
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Bip Bip — Sunday Samba Roda · Copacabana · Free
From 8:00 pm · R. Almirante Gonçalves, 50 – Copacabana · Since 1968 · Five minutes from Blue Note Rio
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Beco do Rato — Sunday Feijoada + Samba · Lapa
From 11:00 am · R. Joaquim Silva, 11 – Lapa · Feijoada ~R$45 · Dose dupla chope noon–3 pm · Samba from afternoon
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MAM Rio — Carmen Portinho Retrospective · Final Day · Free
10:00 am–6:00 pm · Av. Infante Dom Henrique, 85 – Flamengo · Free admission · Daniel Buren “Voile/Toile” through April
Rio de Janeiro Nightlife Guide for Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo Internet reproduction)
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Full Rundown
Venue by venue
1Blue Note Rio — Thaís Motta · Brasil Pandeiro
MPB · Percussion · Sunday
“Brasil Pandeiro” is a concert of contrasts — a show that takes the rhythmic diversity of Brazilian music and compresses it into a programme built around unexpected arrangements and percussive storytelling. Thaís Motta and Luiz Brasil — voice and guitar — are joined by percussionist Naife Simões for a setlist that reimagines Gilberto Gil’s “Expresso 2222” and João Bosco and Aldir Blanc’s “O Ronco da Cuíca” alongside a broader repertoire designed to exalt the breadth of Brazilian musical culture. The press describes the arrangements as “super especiais e emocionantes” — the format strips the songs to rhythm and voice, then rebuilds them with a percussive intensity that redefines the material. This is the Mês das Mulheres programme’s Sunday anchor — a single session at 19h (7 pm), the earlier start time reflecting the Blue Note Rio’s Sunday pacing. The house opens for almoço from 12h with a free bossa nova trio performing three sets on the beachfront calçadão — the best Sunday afternoon programme on the Copacabana strip. Tickets for the 19h show via Eventim. Next week: Flávia Bittencourt performs “De Dominguinhos a Zé Ramalho” on Wednesday March 18 at 22h30.
Sun 7:00 pm · Bossa trio free from noon
Av. Atlântica, 1910 – Copacabana
Tickets via Eventim
2Bip Bip — Sunday Samba Roda
Samba · Free · Copacabana
Sunday is the second samba night of the week at the Bip Bip — the rotation that has defined this tiny Copacabana bar since 1968: Tuesday choro, Wednesday bossa nova, Thursday samba, Sunday samba. The Sunday roda carries a slightly different energy from Thursday — the crowd is more relaxed, the afternoon light still visible when the musicians begin, and the repertoire leans into partido-alto and samba de roda with a warmth that matches the day. The format is unchanged: musicians unplugged on the pavement, audience in respectful silence, cold beer from the fridge, honour-system payment. From 8 pm until the musicians stop. Five minutes from the Blue Note Rio — the natural pairing is the free bossa trio at the Blue Note calçadão from noon, the Brasil Pandeiro show at 7 pm, then the Bip Bip samba roda from 8 pm. With 0% rain tonight and 29°C, the pavement roda operates under ideal conditions — no umbrella needed for the first time in over a week. No cover.
Sun from 8:00 pm
R. Almirante Gonçalves, 50 – Copacabana
Free · Self-service bar
3Beco do Rato — Sunday Feijoada + Samba
Feijoada · Samba · Lapa
Sunday at the Beco do Rato is the defining Lapa afternoon: feijoada on the stove from 11 am, dose dupla de chope from noon to 3 pm, and a roda de samba that builds from lunchtime through sunset and into the evening. The bar on Rua Joaquim Silva, 11, commanded by Márcio Pacheco since 2005, is the most unpretentious and consistent samba address in the neighbourhood. The feijoada runs around R$45 — the house recipe accompanied by arroz, couve, farofa, laranja and the full spread. The courtyard fills from midday, the covered terrace absorbs the overflow, and the indoor salão holds the late stragglers. Pastéis de angu, carne-seca com abóbora, cachaça Gabriela and ice-cold Serramalte complete the table. With 29°C and 0% rain, the open-air courtyard is the best bet in Lapa today. Note: Rio Scenarium and Carioca da Gema are both dark on Sundays — the Beco do Rato is the only confirmed live samba address in the Lapa corridor today. Metro Cinelândia, ten minutes on foot.
Sun from 11:00 am · Feijoada ~R$45
R. Joaquim Silva, 11 – Lapa
No cover · Cash, card, PIX
4MAM Rio — Carmen Portinho · Final Day
Architecture · Free · Flamengo
Today is the final day of the Carmen Portinho retrospective at the MAM Rio — the exhibition that charted the career of the architect and urbanist who shaped modern Rio de Janeiro through public housing, institutional buildings and the vision that created the Aterro do Flamengo park where the museum itself stands. After today, the show closes for good. The MAM Rio sits on Avenida Infante Dom Henrique, 85, in the Aterro do Flamengo — the modernist building by Affonso Eduardo Reidy, surrounded by the Burle Marx gardens, with views across Guanabara Bay to Niterói. Free admission. Open 10h–18h. Also on view: Daniel Buren’s “Voile/Toile” — eleven Optimist sailing boats in the museum foyer, painted in Buren’s signature vertical stripes — through April 12. The MAM Rio is fifteen minutes on foot from the Vivo Rio and ten minutes from Lapa. Metro Cinelândia or Glória.
Sun 10:00 am–6:00 pm · Final day
Av. Infante Dom Henrique, 85 – Flamengo
Free admission
5Copacabana Boardwalk — Sunday Under Clear Skies
Beach · Kiosks · 29°C
After a week of overcast skies and intermittent rain, Sunday delivers the conditions the city has been waiting for: 29°C, 0% chance of rain, clear skies. The Copacabana boardwalk becomes the destination — the beachside kiosks along Avenida Atlântica from Posto 2 to Posto 6 are open all day and into the evening, no cover, cold beer and caipirinhas under awnings that today serve as sun shade rather than rain shelter. The Blue Note Rio calçadão operates in the middle of this strip — the free bossa nova trio from noon anchors the afternoon, the Brasil Pandeiro show at 7 pm shifts the energy to the salão, and the Bip Bip samba roda from 8 pm provides the acoustic coda five minutes up the street. The boardwalk on a clear Sunday evening, with the lights of the Copacabana skyline reflected in the wet sand, is one of the best free experiences in the city.
Sun all day · Kiosks open late
Av. Atlântica – Copacabana · Posto 2 to Posto 6
No cover · 29°C · 0% rain
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Suggested Route
One way to do it
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10:00 am — MAM Rio for Carmen Portinho · Final day
Start with culture. The retrospective closes today — this is your last chance. Free admission. The Burle Marx gardens and Guanabara Bay views reward an early arrival. Daniel Buren “Voile/Toile” in the foyer. Av. Infante Dom Henrique, 85.
2
12:00 pm — Blue Note Rio calçadão for bossa nova + almoço
From Flamengo to Copacabana: metro or ride-hail, fifteen minutes. The free bossa nova trio plays three sets from midday. Almoço service from 12h. 29°C, clear skies. The calçadão at its best.
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7:00 pm — Blue Note Rio salão for Brasil Pandeiro
The evening anchor. Thaís Motta + Luiz Brasil + Naife Simões. Single session at 19h. Tickets via Eventim. The earlier Sunday start time means the show wraps by 8:30 pm — leaving the evening open.
4
8:30 pm — Bip Bip for Sunday samba on the pavement
Five-minute walk from the Blue Note. The Sunday samba roda will be running under clear skies — no umbrella for the first time this week. Cold beer from the fridge, unplugged on the pavement, honour-system payment. The perfect coda to a perfect Sunday.
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Still Going After 22h
Late night
Sunday after 10 pm is quiet by Rio de Janeiro standards — the city winds down before the Monday reset. In Copacabana, the Bip Bip samba roda typically wraps by 10–11 pm on Sundays. The boardwalk kiosks along Av. Atlântica stay open late — the 29°C clear-sky evening makes this the best Sunday for outdoor seating since the rain pattern began. In Lapa, the Beco do Rato evening session winds down — the bar closes by midnight on Sundays. Rio Scenarium and Carioca da Gema are both dark. Nova Capela stays open on Sundays — kitchen running until 1 am, cabrito assado and cold chope. The late-night options are limited: Sunday is the night to stay in Copacabana, walk the boardwalk, and let the city breathe. The week ahead brings the Lollapalooza build-up: sideshows begin, the city’s music calendar intensifies, and the Blue Note Rio continues with Flávia Bittencourt on Wednesday.
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Plan B
More today
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Copacabana boardwalk · Best Sunday of the month — Av. Atlântica, Posto 2 to Posto 6. 29°C, 0% rain. Kiosks open all day and into the evening. Cold beer, caipirinhas, açaí. The sand. The sea. The city at its most elemental.
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Nova Capela — Sunday kitchen — Av. Mem de Sá, 96, Lapa. Open on Sundays until 1 am. The 123-year-old Patrimônio Cultural Carioca. Cabrito assado, marble tables, tiled floors. The only Lapa kitchen destination on a Sunday night. Metro Cinelândia.
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Forte de Copacabana — Praça Coronel Eugênio Franco, 1, Copacabana. The military fort at the tip of Copacabana beach — Confeitaria Colombo outpost with coffee and pastries, plus panoramic views from Arpoador to Leme. Open Tue–Sun 10h–20h. Entry R$6. A Sunday afternoon destination that pairs with the Blue Note calçadão.
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Rua Dias Ferreira bar crawl — Leblon. Sunday evenings are lighter than the weekend but Jobi (No. 44) stays consistent. Metro Antero de Quental (Line 4).
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Oscars 2026 tonight — The 98th Academy Awards ceremony takes place tonight. “O Agente Secreto” (Kleber Mendonça Filho) has four nominations — the most for a Brazilian film since “Central Station.” Watch at home, at a bar screening, or follow along from the Bip Bip pavement with your phone.
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Dark tonight: Rio Scenarium · Carioca da Gema — Both closed Sundays. The Lapa corridor runs only the Beco do Rato and Nova Capela on Sunday. Fundição Progresso: check @fundicaoprogresso.
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This week: Flávia Bittencourt at Blue Note Rio — Wednesday, March 18. “De Dominguinhos a Zé Ramalho” at 22h30. Lewis Capaldi at Qualistage Wednesday March 18. Lollapalooza Brasil March 20–22 — five days out.
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Getting Around
Transport intel
Metro: This Rio de Janeiro nightlife guide recommends the metro for all Sunday travel. MetrôRio runs Sunday hours — check metrio.com.br for today’s schedule. Key stations: Cardeal Arcoverde or Siqueira Campos for Copacabana (Blue Note Rio, Bip Bip). Cinelândia or Glória for Flamengo (MAM Rio). Cinelândia for Lapa (Beco do Rato, Nova Capela). Antero de Quental (Line 4) for Leblon.
Weather: The best day of the entire week — 29°C, 0% chance of rain, clear skies. The Copacabana boardwalk, the Bip Bip pavement roda, the Beco do Rato courtyard, the MAM Rio gardens, and the Forte de Copacabana all reward outdoor time. The rain pattern that dominated the week is over. Monday holds steady: 28°C, 5% rain.
Ride-hailing: 99 and Uber operate normally. Sunday surge is minimal — near-base fares throughout the day and evening. Copacabana to Flamengo (MAM Rio) is ten minutes. Copacabana to Lapa (Beco do Rato) is twenty minutes.
Safety: Copacabana beachfront is well-lit and active on Sunday evenings. The clear weather brings more people to the boardwalk, which improves the atmosphere. Lapa on Sundays is quiet — only the Beco do Rato and Nova Capela are confirmed open. Standard awareness applies for the walk from Cinelândia to Joaquim Silva.
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Neighbourhood Picks
By zone
Copacabana
Brasil Pandeiro · Bossa · Samba · Beach
Blue Note Rio: free bossa trio from noon, Brasil Pandeiro at 7 pm (Av. Atlântica, 1910 — Eventim). Bip Bip: Sunday samba roda from 8 pm (R. Almirante Gonçalves, 50 — free). Boardwalk kiosks open all day. Forte de Copacabana 10h–20h. 29°C, clear skies.
Lapa
Feijoada · Sunday only: Beco + Nova Capela
Beco do Rato (R. Joaquim Silva, 11): feijoada from 11 am, samba from afternoon, no cover. Nova Capela (Av. Mem de Sá, 96): kitchen until 1 am. Rio Scenarium and Carioca da Gema both dark on Sundays. Metro Cinelândia.
Flamengo
MAM Rio · Carmen Portinho · Final day
MAM Rio (Av. Infante Dom Henrique, 85): Carmen Portinho final day 10h–18h, free. Daniel Buren through April. Burle Marx gardens. Metro Cinelândia or Glória.
Leblon
Sunday ease · Jobi
Rua Dias Ferreira lighter on Sundays but Jobi (No. 44) stays consistent. The clear evening rewards a boardwalk walk from Copacabana to Leblon via Arpoador — one of Rio’s defining Sunday routes. Metro Antero de Quental (Line 4).
The Rio Times
riotimesonline.com · Nightlife Guide · Published daily · Rio de Janeiro nightlife guide
Compiled by the RT Nightlife Desk — all events verified against official sources.
Prices, times, and door policies may change — always confirm before heading out. Today: Blue Note Rio free bossa trio from noon · Thaís Motta “Brasil Pandeiro” 7 pm · Copacabana. Bip Bip Sunday samba roda · 8 pm · Free. Beco do Rato · Sunday feijoada from 11 am · Lapa. MAM Rio · Carmen Portinho final day · Free. Oscars 2026 tonight — “O Agente Secreto” four nominations. This week: Flávia Bittencourt at Blue Note Rio Wed March 18. Lewis Capaldi Qualistage Wed. Lollapalooza Brasil March 20–22.
