From a city marked by its civic and architectural vocation, Brasília has taken on a new role on the Brazilian tourism map: as a strategic destination for major cultural, sporting, and business events. This transformation is already directly impacting the capital’s economy and expanding leisure options for residents and visitors. This report is from Agência Brasília.
According to data from the Federal District Tourism Secretariat (Setur-DF), Service Tax (ISS) revenues jumped from R$8 million in 2022 to an expected R$80 million in 2025. “The capital is well-prepared to welcome tourists. It’s a safe city, the airport is close to the center and connects tourists from the North and Northeast regions conveniently and affordably due to the number of flights. The hotel network is very close to our major event venues, such as the BRB Arena, the Ulysses Guimarães Convention Center, and the Parque da Cidade Pavilion. Our climate is conducive to hosting festivals. These factors have helped establish Brasília as a venue for events,” stated Tourism Secretary Cristiano Araújo.
Events bring together hotels and bars
The city’s recent schedule proves its potential: in just one week, Brasília hosted the Youth Games, a concert by international singer Katy Perry—who also performed only in São Paulo and Curitiba—and a mega-performance by country music duo Henrique & Juliano. “These events are sold out and our hotels are full. Previously, it was said that Brasília had nothing to do on the weekend. Today, we are considered the capital of events, thanks to the city’s infrastructure and the GDF’s initiatives to strengthen the gastronomy, hotel, and tourism sectors,” added Cristiano Araújo.
The local government has invested in modernizing tourism infrastructure, creating specific routes, reactivating the free civic tourism bus, renovating and reopening monuments such as the Brasília Museum of Art (MAB) and the Cláudio Santoro National Theater, in addition to the Vai de Graça program, which guarantees free public transportation on Sundays and holidays.
Positive experience for tourists
Veterinarian Fernanda Araújo, 25, traveled from Roraima just to see Katy Perry’s show at Arena BRB Mané Garrincha. “I chose the Brasília show for the geographic reason, because it connects the country and is cheaper for us. The second factor was that I have a friend here who had many positive comments about the accessibility and safety of the region,” she said.
Administrative analyst Letícia Moraes, 26, highlighted the ease of access to the event venues. “I stayed at a hotel nearby and walked to the stadium in ten minutes. In São Paulo, that’s impossible; at the last festival, it took me a long time to catch the subway,” she compared.
Matheus Brito, 28, from Brasília and living in Rio de Janeiro, also returned to support the singer. “I’ve seen the boom in Brasília in recent years, with shows by international and national artists. I arrived early to get in line and found it very easy to get to the stadium,” he said.
Direct impact on the economy
The growing flow of tourists is also reflected at Brasília International Airport, voted the best in the Americas and the fourth best in the world in specialized rankings. In the first half of 2025 alone, there were approximately 440,000 arrivals, 38% more than in the same period in 2024. The number of foreign visitors grew 8.3% compared to the previous year, reaching more than 44,000 international tourists.
For Jael Silva, president of the Employers’ Union of Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, and Similar Establishments (Sindhobar), the trend is toward continued strengthening of the sector. “We’ve seen a significant change in tourist flow. Not only concerts, but sporting events like the Kung Fu World Championship, the Youth Games, and Miss Brasil Globo 2025 are driving activity across the city’s hotel and bar sectors,” he assessed.
With more than 400 hotels ready to welcome leisure and business tourists, Brasília is establishing itself as a capital of major events, boosting the local economy and gaining national and international recognition.
Source: www.brasil247.com