The Key to Happiness: Tomorrowland Brazil Embraces São Paulo

Jordan Bailey

Beginning April 20th, legendary EDM festival Tomorrowland Brazil will take over São Paulo, Brazil, for four days of non-stop, fist pumping beats featuring the biggest names in electronic music alongside the most beautiful people in the world. It’s a wicked combination set atop the festival’s famously immersive storybook-style stage production. The 2016 festival will mark only the second year that it takes place in South America but already rivals its inaugural event.

Originally taking place south of Antwerp, Tomorrowland Belgium began in 2005 and quickly grew into an event that today brings in over 360,000 attendees. That remarkable attendance number is unheard of in events in general, let alone music festivals. For example, Coachella, arguably the United States’ largest music festival averages around 90,000 attendees per year. Given the numbers, it’s easy to understand how Tomorrowland can afford to put together the most impressive stage productions ever. If you’re one of the many international guests planning to attend Tomorrowland Brazil, check out their full-fledged travel packages for an effortless experience.

This year’s lineup features world-famous DJs like Armin van Buuren, Infected Mushroom, Afrojack, Loco Dice, David Guetta and Robin Schulz. These huge names, alongside hundreds of others, will share the stages put forth by what’s often called the world’s best electronic music festival. If you have any doubts about the intense beauty that is Tomorrowland Brazil, just check out the jaw-dropping 2015 aftermovie.  

Where to Eat, Drink and Stay in São Paulo

South America is synonymous with the succulence of red meat on a grill, and Brazil is no exception. Bos BBQ takes their meat very seriously. The photos on their website are all you really need to be convinced of their meat grilling prowess. KAA, on the other hand, takes a more contemporary dining approach to their menu serving up dishes like mushroom risotto and a plethora of local seafood. KAA’s space is one to be admired as well with an open-air rainforest aesthetic. D.O.M. is São Paulo’s answer to the growing gastronomic scene around the world. With a tropical-inspired menu, D.O.M. and their two Michelin stars work with local ingredients like acai, jambu and tucupi. A modern Brazilian steakhouse by way of Rancho da Picanha will be available on the festival grounds as well for your standard luxury festival meal.

For those attending this São Paulo-based event, it’s important to take in all that Tomorrowland has to offer and soak in the city’s culture as well. What better way to drink in Brazilian culture than through the infamous caipirinha? Head to NOH Bar for a great purveyor of this national drink; they make a damn fine Mojito as well. Keeping with the caipirinha motif, Veloso is said to serve up one of the best cachaça cocktails in SP. The French-inspired La Maison prides itself on the foundations of elegance and decadence and as a place where European tastes collide effortlessly with that of Brazilian flavor.

If you’d like to skip out on the many camping options made available by Tomorrowland, we recommend staying in one of SP’s most exclusive neighborhoods, Jardins. Comfort and luxury are the pillars of Emiliano, a gorgeous boutique hotel set in the center of Jardins. Royal Jardins Boutique Hotel follows a similar path boasting a subtle, cozy atmosphere in the same neighborhood. Tivoli is a completely renovated cosmopolitan hotel in the heart of the city featuring a heated outdoor pool and the largest suite in Latin America, you know, if you’re feeling extra opulent.

Past attendees of Tomorrowland inevitably say that this place just has a certain effect on you, one that’s almost indescribable. The organizers make it a point to create a different world in and of itself allowing for unimaginable freedom and a total surreality for the senses. Tomorrowland 2016 will be the biggest music festival Brazil has ever seen! This is not one to miss.

Tomorrowland Brazil 2016 will be held in São Paulo from 4/20-23. Ticket information can be found here.