Considered a thermometer of the official days of revelry, the pre-Carnival weekend in São Paulo signaled a change in the behavior of revelers this year, who preferred to follow mega-blocos 9large-scale street carnival groups), with famous attractions, and organized parades in the circuits created in the south and west zones. Smaller carnival groups, which occupied streets in the center, were almost empty.
The succession of performances by established Carnival names such as Alceu Valença, Chico César, and Monoboloco maintained a high frequency of revelers throughout last weekend in the region of Ibirapuera Park, in the south zone.
The high expectations regarding the programming made street vendors vie for space even in the early hours, when a queue of beverage carts formed at the entrance of the complex.
"This shows that São Paulo's street Carnival prioritizes entertainment. Organic blocos have difficulty attracting many people," says José Cury, representative of the São Paulo Blocos Forum.