From Friday, September 25, through Sunday, September 27, 2026, Paço do Frevo and the Aloisio Magalhães Museum of Modern Art, MAMAM, host a special Recife program for the 20th Museums Spring. For visitors deciding what to do, the main practical difference is clear: MAMAM announced all of its special activities as free, but some require registration and have limited capacity; Paço do Frevo combines free activities, no-registration options and experiences connected to a museum visit, whose regular access follows the venue's ticket policy.
The 20th Museums Spring runs nationwide from September 21 to 27 under the theme "Museums for Everyone". In Recife, the local program brings together accessibility, music, dance, guided visits, performance, workshops and a route linking MAMAM with Ilha de Deus. The schedule below is based on the Recife City Hall announcement published on September 23 and official venue pages checked on September 24.
September 25 to 27 schedule: what is happening at each museum
| Date | Venue | Activity | Time | Cost and registration | Audience or note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/25 | Paço do Frevo, off-site at IAPQ | Frevo às Cegas | 9 a.m. to noon | Free, with registration form | For blind and low-vision participants. The activity takes place at Instituto de Cegos Antônio Pessôa de Queiroz in Graças. |
| 9/25 | Paço do Frevo | Hora do Frevo with Lucas Andrade | Noon | Free, no registration mentioned | Instrumental frevo on the museum's ground floor. |
| 9/25 | MAMAM | Performance "A Esfera de Marcelo Silveira em deslocamento" | 3 p.m. | Free, no registration mentioned | General public. The work is taken into the streets of Recife. |
| 9/26 | MAMAM | MAMAM-Ilha de Deus Circuit | 1 p.m. | Free, with registration | Ages 18 and over. Route connected to the exhibition "A Ilha no Meu Olhar". |
| 9/26 | MAMAM | Workshop "Desenho de observação como investigação do essencial" | 2 p.m. | Free, with registration | Ages 16 and over, 2 hours, 10 spots. |
| 9/26 | Paço do Frevo | Short-form sessions | 3 p.m., 3:40 p.m., 4:20 p.m. and 5 p.m. | No specific fee announced; confirm access rules at reception | The City Hall summary indicates a music focus on Saturday. |
| 9/27 | Paço do Frevo | Doses de Frevo | 11:30 a.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. | No registration, but a museum admission ticket is required | Guided visits to the long-term exhibition "Frevo Vivo". |
| 9/27 | Paço do Frevo | Short-form sessions | 3 p.m., 3:40 p.m., 4:20 p.m. and 5 p.m. | No specific fee announced; confirm access rules at reception | The City Hall summary indicates a dance focus on Sunday. |
| 9/27 | MAMAM | Workshop "Criazine" | 2 p.m. | Free, with registration | Ages 16 and over, 2 hours, 10 spots. |
Friday, September 25: accessibility, instrumental frevo and street performance
Frevo às Cegas takes place away from Paço do Frevo
The first event in the September 25 to 27 window starts at 9 a.m. and is not held at the Paço building. The museum's education team will go to Instituto de Cegos Antônio Pessôa de Queiroz in the Graças neighborhood for Frevo às Cegas. The activity is designed for blind and low-vision participants and combines a theoretical introduction with a practical frevo experience.
Participation is free and City Hall published a specific registration form. Because the official announcement does not provide a public remaining-capacity counter and forms may close once capacity is reached, the safest confirmation is to check whether the Frevo às Cegas form is still accepting responses before traveling.
Hora do Frevo is a free lunchtime option
At noon, clarinetist Lucas Andrade joins Hora do Frevo on Paço do Frevo's ground floor. The performance is free and the announcement does not mention advance registration. For visitors looking for a short musical activity in Recife Antigo, it is the simplest Friday option.
At MAMAM, "A Esfera" moves into the city
At 3 p.m., MAMAM's education team presents the performance "A Esfera de Marcelo Silveira em deslocamento". The activity is free and open to the general public. It moves the artwork through Recife's streets to create encounters and conversations about contemporary art outside a conventional gallery visit.
Saturday, September 26: territorial circuit, drawing and Paço sessions
The MAMAM-Ilha de Deus Circuit requires registration and is for ages 18 and over
The circuit begins at 1 p.m. and uses the exhibition "A Ilha no Meu Olhar" as the starting point for a route between MAMAM and Ilha de Deus. The activity addresses memory, territory and belonging. It is free but requires advance registration and was announced for participants aged 18 and over.
The drawing workshop has only 10 spots
At 2 p.m., MAMAM hosts "Desenho de observação como investigação do essencial" with Adriano Dantas. The workshop invites participants to investigate everyday life by observing shapes in the surrounding landscape. It is free, lasts 2 hours, is open to ages 16 and over, and has 10 spots through a registration form.
Paço offers four session times
At Paço do Frevo, the short sessions are listed at 3 p.m., 3:40 p.m., 4:20 p.m. and 5 p.m. The detailed City Hall listing groups them as dance and music sessions with musician and arts educator Márcio Rastaman and dancer Rafaela Severo. The program summary, however, says Saturday focuses on music and Sunday on dance. Because the official notice uses both descriptions, confirm at reception which format is offered in each session.
Sunday, September 27: guided visits, dance and a zine workshop
Doses de Frevo does not require registration, but museum admission is needed
Doses de Frevo is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. These are guided visits led by the education team through the long-term "Frevo Vivo" exhibition across different areas of Paço do Frevo. The official guidance is to arrive in advance and purchase museum admission. No appointment or activity registration is required.
Paço currently lists regular admission at R$ 10, with R$ 5 half-price tickets and its own free-admission rules. The museum's "Visite" page, checked on September 24, lists opening hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with final admission 30 minutes before closing.
There is an important operational discrepancy: the City Hall notice from September 23 lists 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Since the museum's current page shows closing one hour earlier, confirm the schedule on Paço do Frevo's official channel on the day of the visit, especially if you plan to attend the 5 p.m. session.
Criazine closes MAMAM's special program
At 2 p.m., the Criazine workshop with Juyá Arapuã uses collage, photo collage and painting to reflect on gender identity, the body and self-expression. It is free, lasts 2 hours, has 10 spots and is intended for participants aged 16 and over. Participation requires registration.
What is free and what may require a ticket
- MAMAM: the special Museums Spring program announced by the city is free. Museum admission is also free.
- Frevo às Cegas: free, registration required, and held away from the Paço building.
- Hora do Frevo: free on Paço do Frevo's ground floor.
- Doses de Frevo: no registration is required, but City Hall says visitors should purchase museum admission.
- Paço sessions: the notice does not list a separate fee for each short session. If a session takes place in a controlled-access area, confirm at reception whether museum admission is required.
Which activities require registration and how to check availability
For September 25 to 27, the official announcement lists registration for four activities: Frevo às Cegas, the MAMAM-Ilha de Deus Circuit, the drawing workshop and Criazine. The two MAMAM workshops explicitly have 10 spots. The circuit and Frevo às Cegas also use forms, but the City Hall text does not state how many places remain available.
The practical rule is simple: open the official form before leaving. If it is accepting responses, complete the registration and keep the confirmation. If it has closed, choose a no-registration activity such as Friday's MAMAM performance, Hora do Frevo or Doses de Frevo, remembering that the latter is connected to museum admission.
Which options make more sense for families
Families with younger children should pay attention to age requirements. At MAMAM, Saturday's circuit is for ages 18 and over and the Saturday and Sunday workshops are for ages 16 and over. Friday's performance is listed for the general public. At Paço do Frevo, the City Hall announcement does not state a specific age range for the short sessions or Doses de Frevo, making them potentially more flexible, but families should confirm suitability for children directly with the venue.
For a family outing that does not depend on workshop availability, Paço tends to offer more spontaneous weekend choices. For teenagers aged 16 and over who are interested in visual arts, the MAMAM workshops are clear options as long as spots remain on the registration form.
Addresses and opening hours for planning your route
Paço do Frevo: Praça do Arsenal da Marinha, 91, Bairro do Recife. The current visitor page lists Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For this weekend, confirm the closing time before leaving because of the discrepancy with the City Hall notice.
MAMAM: Rua da Aurora, 265, Boa Vista. City Hall lists Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free admission.
In addition to the special activities, MAMAM is showing three simultaneous exhibitions with free admission through October 18, 2026: "quase vestígios" by amorí; "A inteligência artificial pode ajudar a salvar e proteger a natureza?"; and "O espaço" by Vladimir Păun-Vrapciu. Visitors can therefore combine a workshop or performance with the exhibitions as long as they stay within museum opening hours.
Official sources and updates
The schedule was consolidated from Recife City Hall, Paço do Frevo's official Visite page and the Brazilian Institute of Museums communication about the 20th Museums Spring. Because registration status and capacity can change quickly, check the forms and venue channels on the day of your visit.
