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Best Nightlife in Rio de Janeiro (2026)

Rio's nights range from samba in Lapa to cocktails in Leblon. In the centre, Rio Scenarium on Rua do Lavradio fills three floors of a former antiques shop with samba, gafieira and choro from Wednesday to Saturday, plus a Saturday afternoon feijoada session. Carioca da Gema on Avenida Mem de Sá in Lapa hosts live samba from Tuesday to Saturday, and Jurema Bar, between Glória and Lapa, serves creative cachaça cocktails and bar food that won the 2026 Veja Rio award.

Traditional bars are just as important. Adega Pérola in Copacabana, founded in 1957, sells around 70 petiscos by the kilo with draught beer, and Bar Urca, founded in 1939, is famous for drinks on the sea wall facing Corcovado and Sugarloaf. For a more refined evening, Liz Cocktails & Co in Leblon is the only Rio bar to have appeared on the Top 500 Bars list. Many live music venues charge an entry fee, and main shows often start at 21:00 or later.

6 places · Updated October 27, 2026

Our top 3 nightlife in Rio de Janeiro

  1. Rio Scenarium Live samba and Brazilian music venue, Lapa / CentroA three-floor live music house on Rua do Lavradio that began as an antiques shop in 1999 and now hosts samba, gafieira and choro.
  2. Carioca da Gema Samba bar, LapaA Lapa samba house in a traditional old house on Avenida Mem de Sá, with live samba from Tuesday to Saturday and a bar food menu.
  3. Adega Pérola Traditional Portuguese-style bar, CopacabanaA Copacabana bar founded by Portuguese brothers in 1957, famous for draught beer and around 70 petiscos sold by the kilo.

Bar

1. Rio Scenarium

Live samba and Brazilian music venue$$Lapa / Centro

A three-floor live music house on Rua do Lavradio that began as an antiques shop in 1999 and now hosts samba, gafieira and choro.

View details — Rio Scenarium

Bar

4. Jurema Bar

Cachaça and cocktail bar$$Glória / Lapa

A cachaça bar between Glória and Lapa with inventive Brazilian bar food by chef Pedro Attayde, named the city's best bar kitchen in 2026.

View details — Jurema Bar

Bar

6. Bar Urca

Traditional bar and sea-wall drinks$$Urca

A family-run Urca bar founded in 1939, famous for fried sardines, cold beer and drinks on the sea wall facing Corcovado.

View details — Bar Urca