Discover unmissable exhibitions, plays and films on São Paulo's cultural agenda in October
Submitted at Oct 5, 2026, 10:00 AM
Ismael Nery - Pinacoteca Luz (Beto Assem/CASACOR)
In October, the cultural agenda of São Paulo gains momentum with new exhibitions, theater seasons and great opportunities to explore the city's art circuit. Among the highlights are Ismael Nery: modern trap, at Pinacoteca; Zanine Caldas, at Casa-ateliê Tomie Ohtake; and the special exhibition celebrating the 75th anniversary of Lina Bo Bardi's Glass House. The month also brings the last days of Carolina Caycedo: confluences, at MASP.
In addition to museums and cultural centers, it is worth taking the time to explore the São Paulo galleries, which host exhibitions by Brazilian and international artists and expand the itinerary through different neighborhoods of the city.
On the stages, the programming also remains busy, with plays and musicals showing throughout the month.
Below, check out the highlights to enjoy the São Paulo cultural agenda in October.
A journey through different moments, cultures and perspectives of Latin America occupies five floors of MASP. With 187 works by 148 artists from 20 countries, Latin American histories blends pre-colonial and contemporary art, paintings, photographs, videos, documents and other works to explore themes such as identity, migration, politics, ecology and the transformations experienced by the region.
When: Until January 31, 2027
Where: Pietro MASP Building — Avenida Paulista, 1578, Bela Vista, São Paulo.
Rivers, landscapes and communities run through the work of Carolina Caycedo in Confluences, an exhibition that brings together different moments of the Colombian artist's trajectory. The show addresses environmental issues, ancestral knowledge and social movements, in addition to presenting recent works developed in Brazil.
When: Until October 4, 2026
Where: Lina MASP Building — Avenida Paulista, 1578, Bela Vista, São Paulo.
Ismael Nery - Pinacoteca Luz (Isabella Matheus/CASACOR)
Ismael Nery's work gains a comprehensive retrospective that revisits one of the most singular names in Brazilian modernism. Bringing together around 230 works, the exhibition shows how the artist explored the body, identity, desire and spirituality, building a production marked by experimentation and connections with languages such as cubism and surrealism.
Until: January 31, 2027
Where: Pinacoteca Luz — Praça da Luz, 2, Bom Retiro, São Paulo.
The first institutional exhibition dedicated to Paulo Pedro Leal presents a look at the trajectory of the self-taught painter, who lived for many years on the margins of the Brazilian art circuit. With more than 50 paintings produced between the 1950s and 1960s, the show reveals how the artist observed the transformations and contradictions of Rio de Janeiro, moving between social issues, spirituality and everyday scenes.
When: Until November 8, 2026
Where: Pinacoteca Luz — Praça da Luz, 2, Bom Retiro, São Paulo.
Casa de Vidro, projetada por Lina Bo Bardi no bairro do Morumbi, em São Paulo. Suspensa sobre pilotis e cercada por mata nativa, a residência combina leveza estrutural, integração com o entorno e planta fluida — elementos centrais do conceito aberto na arquitetura modernista brasileira. (Nelson Kon/CASACOR)
The Glass House celebrates 75 years with an exhibition that invites visitors to discover new layers of the residence designed by Lina Bo Bardi to live in with Pietro Maria Bardi. Curated by Bruno Simões, the show covers architecture, design and the intimacy of the house through drawings, photographs, correspondence and archival materials, including content presented for the first time.
When: December 5, 2026
Where: Glass House — Rua General Almério de Moura, 200, Morumbi, São Paulo.
Visiting hours: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, at scheduled times and with prior booking.
Marília Mendonça's trajectory gains an immersive exhibition at MIS, which traces the life and career of one of the main voices of sertanejo music. Spread across the two floorsof the museum, the exhibition brings together personal objects, costumes, records, and interactive experiences to revisit her history, her songs, and the legacy she left in Brazilian culture.
When: October 9 – November 29, 2026
Where: MIS — Avenida Europa, 158, Jardim Europa, São Paulo.
Zanine Caldas- Casa-ateliê Tomie Ohtake (Divulgação/CASACOR)
The career of José Zanine Caldas is featured in an exhibition at the former home of Tomie Ohtake, in Campo Belo, São Paulo. The show covers the work of the Bahian architect and designer and reveals how architecture, design, craftsmanship, and environmental awareness were interconnected in his production.
Divided into four sections, the route also creates a special dialogue with the Casa-ateliê itself, a space marked by experimentation and artistic practice.
When: November 7, 2026
Where: Casa-ateliê Tomie Ohtake — Rua Antônio de Macedo Soares, 1800, Campo Belo, São Paulo.
What happens when discarded materials gain a new life? In Elos, the duo Pirilampos do Planeta, formed by Flavio and Lula, creates luminous sculptures inspired by the forms and connections of nature. The exhibition offers a contemplative experience on sustainability, transformation, and the network of relationships that connects everything around us.
When: November 22, 2026
Where: Farol Santander — Rua João Brícola, 24, Historic Center of São Paulo.
ELOS: Pirilampos do Planeta - Farol Santander (Giovana Carvalho/CASACOR)
Seventy years of creation by Fernando Lemos are revisited in this exhibition celebrating the centenary of the Luso-Brazilian artist's birth. About 400 items help reveal the different facets of his career, spanning visual arts, poetry, politics, and design, in a path built from his personal archive and materials preserved by his family.
When: February 7, 2027
Where: IMS Paulista — Avenida Paulista, 2424, Bela Vista, São Paulo.
The 39th Panorama of Brazilian Art: After everything was said, curated by Diane Lima, proposes new ways of thinking about Brazilian art based on racial, historical, and social issues. The exhibition brings together practices that explore imagination, experimentation, and different perspectives on the present and future of artistic production in the country.
When: Until January 24, 2027
Where: MAM São Paulo, Ibirapuera Park
The creative universe of Luis Fernando Verissimo, who passed away in 2025, is honored in an exhibition dedicated to his career and legacy. With more than 300 items, the show brings together personal materials, memorable characters, and references to jazz, one of his greatest passions. Interactive installations complete the tour and bring the public closer to the writer's humor and work.
Until: February 28, 2027
Where: Centro Cultural FIESP — Avenida Paulista, 1313, São Paulo.
Zéh Palito draws from family memories and his experiences in Limeira and São Paulo to create the 15 new works gathered in O meu quintal é maior do que o mundo. Between paintings and tile works, the exhibition transforms everyday scenes into narratives about belonging, identity, affection, and ancestry, with Black characters portrayed in moments of pause, togetherness, and rest.
Until: November 7, 2026
Where: Simões de Assis — Alameda Lorena, 2050, Jardins, São Paulo.
Zéh Palito - Simões de Asis (Divulgação/CASACOR)
The color purple is the common thread of this exhibition, which brings together eight contemporary artists around themes such as memory, identity, spirituality, and transformation. Curated by Audrey Barbosa, 'ROXO em TONS' presents different perspectives on a single shade, exploring the relationships between color, matter, and human experience.
When: October 9, 2026
Where: Vazio Criativo — Rua Lavradio, 573, Barra Funda, São Paulo.
The connection between Sebastião Salgado and Mirella Ricciardi began in the 1970s, when Lélia Wanick Salgado gave her husband Vanishing Africa, a book by the Kenyan-Italian photographer that played an important role in his approach to photography. This relationship inspires A Elegância do Olhar, an exhibition that celebrates the 25 years of Galeria Mario Cohen.
Curated by Lilian Pace, the exhibition brings together 17 images and places in dialogue Amazônia, by Salgado, and Vanishing Africa, by Ricciardi, alongside some of the artist's photographs never before shown in Brazil. The encounter highlights the sensitivity of both photographers in portraying Amazonian peoples and African communities, emphasizing their relationships with the territory, identity, and the beauty found in everyday gestures.
When: Until November 11, 2026
Where: Galeria Mario Cohen — Rua Capitão Francisco Padilha, 69, Jardim Europa, São Paulo
Atsushi Kaga - A Half Apple Moon (Divulgação/CASACOR)
The modernist universe of Tarsila do Amaral meets the imagination of Japanese artist Atsushi Kaga in 'Two Big Footers'. The exhibition brings together works by Tarsila produced between 1923 and 1970 and previously unseen paintings by Kaga, created from his research on the Brazilian artist. The dialogue crosses different times and references, connecting modernism to pop culture, anime, and manga.
When: October 24, 2026
Where: Almeida & Dale — Rua Fradique Coutinho, 1360, Vila Madalena, São Paulo.
Ernesto Neto transforms the two spaces of Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel into projects that bring art, body, and nature closer together. In Vonta de vi dada dada, sculptures and installations with organic forms explore ideas of balance, movement, and connection between beings, creating an experience that extends across the Barra Funda and Jardins units.
Until: October 17, 2026 (Jardins) / October 24, 2026 (Barra Funda)
Where: Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel — Barra Funda and Jardins, São Paulo.
Ernesto Neto - Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel (Eduardo Ortega/CASACOR)
Galeria Teo Cleveland has opened its doors in Campos Elíseos with a proposal dedicated to Brazilian design. Housed in an early 20th-century industrial building, the new headquarters brings together pieces by important names in national furniture design and also offers a close look at the conservation and restoration processes carried out by the gallery.
Visitation: on Fridays, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, by prior appointment.
Where: Galeria Teo Cleveland — Alameda Cleveland, 508, Campos Elíseos, São Paulo.
Love, desire, and loneliness run through the show starring Johnny Massaro, inspired by the book by psychoanalyst Ana Suy. On stage, the actor leads a reflection on the bonds we build and the expectations surrounding our relationships, in an adaptation with dramaturgy by Júlia Portes and direction by Helena Varvaki.
When: October 1 - October 31, 2026
Where: Sesc Pinheiros — Rua Paes Leme, 195, Pinheiros, São Paulo.
Gregorio Duvivier makes words the center of O Céu da Língua, a show that mixes humor and poetry to take a different look at the Portuguese we use every day. Directed by Luciana Paes, the monologue returns to São Paulo for six performances at Espaço Unimed.
Dates: October 7, 8, and 9, at 9 pm; October 10, at 4:30 pm and 9 pm; and October 11, at 4:30 pm.
Where: Espaço Unimed — Rua Tagipuru, 795, Barra Funda, São Paulo
Céu da Língua - Gregorio Duvivier (Joana Calejo Pires/CASACOR)
The life and work of Gilberto Gil come to the stage in his first musical biography. With Gui Ventura in the role of the artist, text by Newton Moreno, and direction by Miguel Falabella, the production traces important moments of his trajectory, from the Bahian backlands to his exile in London and Tropicália, with his songs as the guiding thread.
Until: November 29, 2026
Where: Teatro Santander — Avenida Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek, 2041, Shopping JK Iguatemi, São Paulo.
Daphne Bozaski and Gabriela Medvedovsky share the stage for the first time in Pergunte Alguma Coisa, with text by Gustavo Pinheiro and direction by Guilherme Gobbi. The comedy starts from an unexpected encounter to discuss human relationships and the limits of technology, with a particular twist: the actresses alternate roles throughout the season, changing the dynamics of the play with each performance.
Until: October 11, 2026
Where: Tucarena — Rua Bartira, 347, Perdizes, São Paulo.
Pergunte Alguma Coisa - Tucarena (Annelize Tozetto/CASACOR)
