On the weekend of August 21st, the Festival Bananada moved from multiple venues to the Centro Cultural Oscar Niemeyer, a traditional multicultural center in the city. The arena, the name of that space, hosted the most hyped bands and acts, drawing a massive crowd to the festival after a seven-year hiatus. One of the highlights of the first day was Jovens Ateus, a post-punk group that received massive praise with the release of their first album, Vol. 1. In the first songs, the band presents a highly melancholic sound, a reserved presence populated by synths. As the set progresses, it gets more aggressive; Guto Becchi, the lead singer, screams more and leans toward metal territory. It is an impressive performance by a new group; they formed in 2020 and are already playing at major festivals, such as Lollapalooza.
Yet, the other outstanding concert was by Sophia Chablau & Felipe Vaqueiro. Playing their album Handycam, the duo has an indie pop and indie rock sound. Using electric guitars and a smooth blend of voices, they sing about the experiences of Brazilian youth. It is a unique concert that blends elements of classic national sounds with other sonorities, as Ana Frango Electrico is known for. However, the headliners of the night were the local band Boogarins. Arguably the most international Brazilian group of the last decade, they bring a psychedelic rock influence to the table. Yet, they played songs by the legendary Clube da Esquina, probably one of the most acclaimed albums in our musical history. Instead of just covering the songs, they reinterpret the classics by extending melodies, experimenting with synths and guitars, and expanding beyond the 21 songs on the LP. They play classics by Milton Nascimento and B-cuts, but imprint their identity on one of Brazil’s most important musical acts. It was a great way to wrap up the first night at the Bananada Arena.
On the 22nd, a legend played on the main stage. Arnaldo Antunes, former member of Titãs and Tribalistas, assembled a fascinating setlist throughout his concert. Starting with Novo Mundo, his acclaimed 2025 album that blends rock, drill, and pop, he chronicles the reality of the 2020s: AI, OnlyFans, and late capitalism. In the first two songs, he sang from his last record; however, it is impossible for an artist with so many hits not to go back to his own catalog. He performed O Pulso, a Titãs song, then Já Sei Namorar, the massive Tribalistas hit. In a sense, his setlist was a time travel: the present, the past, and what he imagines of the future. Surely, one of the best concerts of the entire festival.
Furthermore, another hyped name was Gaby Amarantos, who is at the height of her career with her latest release, Rock Doido. Featuring the sound of technobrega, a musical style from Pará, a state in the northern part of the country, the record is a collage of sounds. She utilizes samples, such as Luiz Bonfá, which are globally well-known for their use in “Somebody That I Used to Know“ by Gotye & Kimbra, while narrating the experience of flirting through Instagram direct messages and a heavily distorted sound that only this style has. Thousands of people danced to the artist’s complex performance, which incorporated elements of her culture while also inviting local ballet dancers to join her. At the end, it is a portrait of a third-world sound, produced on the outskirts of Pará, yet one that reached the central stages across the country.
Finally, the last day, the 23rd, brought two impressive concerts: the first, the festival’s main headliner, BaianaSystem. Introduced by Fabrício Nobre, the event’s founder, as the best live performance in the world, the group uses sounds from their state of Bahia to create a Carnaval block party wherever they go. In this sense, they invite the crowd to form mosh pits, dance, and think politically about the right to celebrate life. Russo Passapuso, the lead singer, even brought a shirt of the country’s president, Lula, as a political act to highlight the intertwining of music and politics. It is a fun time, but also an intense exercise in crowd country and understanding of their own catalog.
After them, one of the country’s best artists, Don L, returned to the city after a long time. Performing his latest record, CARO Vapor II, he brought, alongside Terra Preta and Alt Niss, a singular example of how to present a spectacular album. Therefore, he used the backdrop very effectively to insert videos and collages, similar to the album’s visuals, that expand on his lyrics. Still, in the middle of the show, he said to the audience, “It’s been a long time, right? Do you all know this?” and played Aquela Fé, a song from his first album, Roteiro para Ainouz Vol. 3. It brought the crowd down, formed mostly by his fans, thirsty for the classics, which composed well the setlist along the new record.
After seven years, the Festival Bananada returned and already confirmed its next year’s edition. This great event is a return and a commitment to the future: it is back, and they want to stay.
Festival Bananada took place in August of 2026.
Learn more about the event at the official website.
Photo Credit: Festival Bananada
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