Sadly, the theater wasn't open when my friend and I dropped by. We got a hold of one of their…read moreperformance schedules and saw that they had several interesting performances, some of them free, the week we were in Rio, but we just couldn't fit it into our schedules. Still, we hung out and took photos of the exterior, and it's truly stunning. To get to the Municipal Theater, take the green line to Cinelandia station, and you will arrive in a big city center. The Theater is on the north side.

I've been in awe with this building ever since I was 4 years old. Each time I go to Rio, I take a…read morepicture here with my mom. And every time, tickets are sold out. Finally, I got the opportunity to go inside and see a ballet! Yay! I've seen it pre-renovation. And it's so shiny on the top. It's so beautiful inside. You should really go. Get your tickets as soon as you get there. I was lucky enough to score some tickets. They were also pretty pricey. Like R$250 (they had run out of GA tix). I decided I was going to go no matter what. You can buy some snacks, candy, scotch, or champagne during intermission. It's fancy. Fortunately the stand on the left takes credit card. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to purchase my tiny espresso. They sadly don't have a souvenir shop, which I was totally bummed out about. I would have probably bought all the things. The shows are often late at night, so a lot of people take the taxi for safety reasons. If you're not dressed too fancy, you can get by taking the metro.

I went to see a couple shows there (Zaz & Jorge Ben Jor) and really liked the venue. Centrally…read morelocated, right next to Lapa's arcs, it is spacious and open on all sides, with a large dome to protect the venue against bad weather. There is no sitting space with a view of the stage, so it's mainly everybody up on their feet, which gives it a nicer vibe. Only downside is that once you leave your spot, you can't come back into the crowd. In the open area, I found people dancing, drinking and smoking, closer to a festival atmosphere. One thing I liked about this place is that they offer half price to everyone in exchange of 1kg of food, which is a great deal when you want to discover new artists. The venue is equipped with a bar and toilets inside. After the show, it is recommended to be careful in the immediate surroundings of the venue, since many assaults have been reported around the arcs late at night.

Amazing place with very high quality sound and great vibe. Went with my family of 4 to see Hamilton…read morede Holanda and the performance was astounding. International quality for 15 Reals ($5). Highly recommended for real Brazilian music. People were very nice and we felt safe.