São Paulo

• Summer Wet Season · Jan 1 – Jan 31 · festival

  São Paulo's summer peaks in January with 237 mm of rainfall, regularly flooding low-lying neighbourhoods and spilling rivers — build afternoon downpours into every itinerary.

• New Year's Day · Jan 1-7 · holiday

  A nationwide public holiday - many businesses close and the city takes on a festive note.

• Peak summer rains · Jan 15 – Jan 11 · holiday

  Daily afternoon downpours and flash flooding in low-lying areas - traffic worse than usual, which is saying something.

• Carnaval · Feb 19 – Mar 4 · festival

  Less famous than Rio but huge - street blocos all over the city, the sambadrome on the weekend.

• São Paulo Carnival · Feb 19 – Feb 18 · festival

  The Sambódromo at Anhembi blazes with costumed samba-school parades — spectacular if you stay, though most Paulistanos flee to the coast and the city runs quieter than usual.

• Lollapalooza Brazil · Mar 19-25 · festival

  Three days at Interlagos - half a million attendees; hotels in the south of the city tight.

• Easter (Páscoa) · Mar 26 – Mar 8 · religious

  Long weekend - many Paulistanos head to the coast or interior; the city paradoxically quiet.

• Tiradentes · Apr 16-22 · holiday

  A nationwide public holiday - many businesses close and the city takes on a festive note.

• Labour Day · Apr 30-May 6 · holiday

  A nationwide public holiday - many businesses close and the city takes on a festive note.

• Virada Cultural · May 21-27 · festival

  24 hours of free music, theatre and art across the city - the centre throbs through the night.

• São Paulo Pride Parade · Jun 4-10 · festival

  Avenida Paulista's Pride Parade - the largest in the world, three million attendees on a Sunday afternoon.

• Festas Juninas · Jun 11 – Jul 1 · religious

  Country-style June festivals - bonfires, quentão, square dancing in every neighbourhood.

• Independence Day · Sep 3-9 · holiday

  Military parade along Avenida Paulista - public holiday, family picnics, the city long-weekending.

• Brazilian Grand Prix · Nov 5-11 · sport

  Interlagos hosts F1 - hotels in the south of the city tight, the airport overrun for a long weekend.

• São Silvestre street race · Dec 24-31 · sport

  São Paulo's annual New Year's Eve 15km from Paulista - the city's biggest sporting tradition.

a reason to go mixed worth knowing about