Brazil’s Parintins Folklore Festival returns to colour the Amazon once again, after a two year hiatus. Parintins is one of the largest annual festivals in Brazil and a perfect opportunity for UAE travelers to experience the vibrance of a Brazilian festival while escaping the local rising temperatures.
This year’s festivities will be taking place between 24-27 June 2022 at the Parintins Cultural Centre on the island of Parintins — from where the festival derives its name — on the banks of the Amazon River, 370 kilometers from Manaus, the capital city of the vast state of Amazonas.
The three-day event, which celebrates a local legend about a resurrected ox, sees teams, go head-to-head in a historic rivalry. The ox Caprichoso, represented by the color blue, and the ox Garantido, symbolized by red, compete in extended retellings of the age-old ox legend and try to out-do the other team by putting on artist performances that take inspiration from Amazonian folklore and Indian culture, and incorporate Brazilian themes and rhythms.
“For those who love art and popular culture, the Parintins Folklore Festival is a truly exciting experience which immerses visitors in the history, culture and legends of Brazil,” said Silvio Nascimento, President of Embratur, Brazil’s Tourism Board.
He added: “With a pleasant tropical ad temperate climate, UAE residents wanting an escape from the upcoming summer can make a getaway trip to Parintins and visit the event to truly explore the flair and passion of Brazilian festivals.”
The three nights of revelry, flamboyant dances, parade floats, melodious tunes and regional songs by revelers narrating the myths, beliefs, legends, rites and history of the region are a sensory spectacle for visitors and offer a true experience of age-old authentic Brazilian culture.
The Bumbódromo venue, built in the shape of an ox's head, has capacity for 35,000 people and attracts more than 100,000 people over the festival’s entire duration, in addition to the thousands of viewers following the event through media broadcasting. After the performances have concluded each night, the main square, countless bars, and every little corner near the Bumbódromo accommodate a crowd still full of energy to mimic the dance and songs of their favorite Boi or ox.
Travelers from the UAE & Bahraian can reach the festival by traveling with Emirates to Sao Paulo International Airport. From there, domestic flights to Parintins Regional Airport can be taken to reach the festival.
