SPA das Artes 2026 takes place in Recife from September 19 to 27, with more than 40 free activities spread across streets, parks, museums, studios and other cultural spaces. The official program groups the edition into six areas: concerts, street actions, studio activations, talks, the SPA Video Art Showcase and the Recife Visual Arts Salon. For visitors who want to take part without reading the entire institutional schedule, the most practical approach is to choose the type of experience first and then group travel by area and time of day.
What is confirmed
- Main dates: September 19–27, 2026.
- Admission: Recife City Hall presents the program as free; for the talks, entry is on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Opening: Saturday, September 19, at Pátio de São Pedro, starting at 4 p.m., with the launch of the 2026 Arts Map, the SPA Video Art Showcase, DJ Vibra and Metá Metá.
- Closing: Sunday, September 27, at Pátio de São Pedro, starting at 4 p.m., with video art and performances by Ava Rocha and DJ IDLibra.
- Extended program: the Video Art Showcase at MAMAM and the Recife Visual Arts Salon at Galeria Janete Costa continue through October 25.
Guide by type of activity
| Interest | Best dates to prioritize | Where | How to fit it into your plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening and concerts | Sept. 19, from 4 p.m. | Pátio de São Pedro | Keep the late afternoon and evening free; the detailed schedule lists DJ Vibra at 6:30 p.m. and Metá Metá at 7:20 p.m. |
| Street actions | Sept. 19–27 | Downtown, Pina, Boa Viagem, Casa Amarela, Tamarineira, Iputinga, Jiquiá, Ibura and other locations | Choose one area per time block because the actions are intentionally spread across the city. |
| Studios and hands-on activities | Throughout the week, especially Sept. 24–27 | Ateliê Boitatá, Pão&Tinta, Casa Lontra, Olaria da Costa, La Ursa/Umbral das Artes and others | These work better as two-hour or longer blocks rather than quick stops between distant events. |
| Video art | Sept. 20–Oct. 25 at MAMAM; itinerant screenings during SPA | MAMAM, Pátio de São Pedro, Praça do Sebo and Museu Murillo La Greca | Use MAMAM for a more predictable time slot; check the official page for itinerant screenings. |
| Recife Visual Arts Salon | Opens Sept. 20; on view through Oct. 25 | Galeria Janete Costa, Parque Dona Lindu | This is the strongest fixed stop for visitors who want a group exhibition without relying on a one-time action. |
| Talks | Sept. 21, 23 and 25 at 4 p.m. | Paço do Frevo | Arrive early: admission is free and first-come, first-served. |
| Closing | Sept. 27, from 4 p.m. | Pátio de São Pedro | Spend the afternoon downtown and end the festival with video art, Ava Rocha and DJ IDLibra. |
September 19: opening day and a downtown circuit
The first day makes it possible to build a fairly concentrated downtown route before the official opening. In the morning, Ponte Duarte Coelho hosts the sound performance “Sub(i)mersão” at 10 a.m., while Rua da Imperatriz has the Atelier Livre de Arte Ploeg from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. In Santo Antônio, Ateliê Enfant Terrible offers a screen-printing workshop from 9 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 6 p.m., and La Ursa Ateliê/Umbral das Artes presents the “Recife Futurista” exhibition in two time blocks.
In the afternoon, Praça da República hosts Lia Letícia’s “Arriar a Bandeira” at 4 p.m. The opening program at Pátio de São Pedro begins at the same time. The city’s detailed schedule lists DJ Vibra at 6:30 p.m. and Metá Metá at 7:20 p.m., making the Pátio the main anchor for visitors who want to end Saturday with music.
If street actions are your priority
Street actions are the most geographically dispersed part of SPA, with more than 20 interventions, performances and installations. Rather than trying to collect as many locations as possible, it is more useful to choose days with several works in nearby territories or with one specific project you want to see.
- Sept. 20: activities take place at Praia do Pina, along the Teatro do Parque–MAMAM route, at Cais do Apolo and in Boa Viagem/Parque Dona Lindu. At Dona Lindu, “Tubarão Fêmea” is scheduled for 4 p.m. and “2.660 Km/h” for 7:30 p.m.
- Sept. 22: Christina Machado performs “Não sou objeto de recordação — Perpétua orgânica Ipê branco” at Parque da Tamarineira from 2:30 p.m. The day also includes actions in the Historic Center, Pina, Estância and Casa Amarela.
- Sept. 24–27: Tetê’s “Poema linha do horizonte” moves across bridges and crossings in Recife. On consecutive days, the installation appears at points including Ponte Prefeito Lima Castro, Ponte Engenheiro Jaime Gusmão, Ponte do Vintém and Passarela dos Coelhos.
- Sept. 25: Lucas Cardoso’s “Pneumatóforo” starts on Rua da Aurora toward MAMAM at 2:30 p.m.
- Sept. 26–27: the “Festival de graffiti — Zona Oeste in Fest” occupies Rua Doutor José Anastácio da Silva Guimarães in Iputinga from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Studios: where it is worth reserving longer time blocks
The studio activations are better suited to visitors who prefer artistic processes, workshops and shared practice to a sequence of short performances. Three hubs are especially useful for planning:
- Ateliê Pão&Tinta: Rua Eurico Vitrúvio, 360, Pina. On Sept. 25, 26 and 27, it hosts activities connected to urban art, hip-hop and graffiti from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Casa Lontra: Rua Bispo Cardoso Ayres, 72. “Ocupação Lontra” runs Sept. 24–26 in an evening slot, from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., with performances and works connected to Recife’s independent arts circuit.
- Ateliê Boitatá: Rua Conselheiro Nabuco, 517, Casa Amarela. “SPAzinho das Artes” connects contemporary art and childhood on different program days, generally in afternoon blocks.
The schedule also includes Olaria da Costa in Boa Vista with a Raku workshop; La Ursa Ateliê/Umbral das Artes in Santo Antônio with “Recife Futurista”; and Ateliê Enfant Terrible with a screen-printing workshop.
Video art and the Salon: two anchors with extended runs
Visitors who cannot follow the full festival have two options that continue beyond its nine-day span. The SPA Video Art Showcase brings together 11 works and remains at MAMAM from September 20 through October 25. According to the city, opening hours are 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.
The Recife Visual Arts Salon 2026 opens on Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. at Galeria Janete Costa in Parque Dona Lindu. The exhibition brings together 37 artists plus the six honorees of this edition and also remains on view through October 25. After opening day, the schedule published by the city lists visiting hours from noon to 8 p.m.
For visitors who want to combine both on the same weekend, MAMAM works as a downtown stop and Galeria Janete Costa as a South Zone stop; separating them into different time blocks or days is more comfortable.
Talks at Paço do Frevo
Paço do Frevo hosts three meetings at 4 p.m. on Sept. 21, 23 and 25. On Sept. 21, Jota Mombaça and Abiniel Nascimento take part in “Recuse-se a sair do planeta: Arte contemporânea e insurgência elemental,” moderated by Joana D’Arc Lima. On Sept. 23, “Memórias do SPA” brings together the six honorees, moderated by Bárbara Collier. On Sept. 25, the discussion on independent art collectives features Ateliê Boitatá, Box Preparação and Pão&Tinta, moderated by Irma Brown. The city states that admission is free and first-come, first-served.
September 27: closing at Pátio de São Pedro
The final day still includes activities around the city in the morning and afternoon, including the graffiti festival in Iputinga, Tetê’s installation at Passarela dos Coelhos and programming at Pão&Tinta. For a simple ending, the main convergence point is Pátio de São Pedro: the closing program begins at 4 p.m. and brings together the SPA Video Art Showcase, Ava Rocha and DJ IDLibra.
How to build your route without crossing the city unnecessarily
- Choose one anchor: Pátio de São Pedro for opening/closing, MAMAM for video art, Dona Lindu for the Salon, or a studio for a longer hands-on experience.
- Add activities in the same area: Downtown and Santo Antônio have several options; Pina and Boa Viagem form another axis; Casa Amarela, Tamarineira, Iputinga and Jiquiá require their own travel time.
- Leave buffer time between neighborhoods: SPA is designed to occupy many territories, so an overly tight schedule can make transportation the dominant part of the day.
- Use the extended exhibitions as a backup plan: MAMAM and Galeria Janete Costa continue through Oct. 25, so they do not have to compete with one-off performances.
Note on itinerant Video Art Showcase times
The Recife City Hall page published on Sept. 15 contains an internal discrepancy in some SPA Video Art Showcase times: the summary text and the day-by-day schedule do not match for certain Sept. 19 and Sept. 24 screenings. This guide therefore does not treat those conflicting times as definitive. The Sept. 26 session at Museu Murillo La Greca appears at 5 p.m. in both references; for the other itinerant screenings, check the official page close to the date.
Official sources
The program and times in this guide were organized from the Recife City Hall program article published on Sept. 15, 2026. The municipal tourism agenda also lists the opening event with Metá Metá at Pátio de São Pedro. Because cultural events may receive operational updates, the City Hall page should be the final reference before traveling.
