On September 3rd BR Day in New York celebrated its 33rd year. For a party in its thirties, you may think that it has become a little repetitive with a bit of the same every year. If that’s your thinking, you are totally wrong!
The biggest Brazilian party outside Brazil keeps growing every year, getting together more and 
more people from several regions of the country, and surprising even its organizers. This year, according the New York City Police Department, about 1.7 million people attended the event, a historic record.
If you are asking why, there are several explanations. First, BR Day New York is already a tradition among Brazilians. It is an opportunity to remember how happy our people are, how rich our 
culture is and, most importantly, how well we do parties; second, it always brings top artists from brazil; third, it is one of the best organized street festivals on the planet. He-re an important highlight: everything happens in a long block of Sixth Avenue, one of the busiest avenues in the city, which is closed all Sunday. Fourth, there are no fights or violence of any 
type. The party is so peaceful that police officers usually ask to be on duty this Sunday. Finally, there is the joy of Brazilians. How amazing these people are!
This year, the concerts, the main part of the festival, were eclectic enough to please 
everyone. Hosted by Otaviano Costa, the first artists to come on the stage were Marcos & Belutti, a country duo with several hits loved by Brazilians. They were followed by Rio de Janeiro samba band Sorriso Maroto, who sung their most successful songs of a 20-year career. Surprising the public, Sorriso Maroto invited to the stage the American R&B star Brian McKnight, 
who sang “Back to One” and, with the Brazilian band, “Mais Facil”. Finally, the super star Claudia Leitte ended the festival with a typical carnival from Bahia. The public couldn’t be more excited. The festivities continued along Little Brazil.
This small part of the city that honors our 
country became totally green & yellow for one day. You could find “pastel com caldo de cana”, “salgadinhos”, “brigadeiro”, “acaraje”, “churrasco” and several other wonders of the Brazilian cuisine. You could also enjoy a small samba school or a “capoeira” group performing in the middle of the street. If you missed all this 
fun this year, don’t worry! There will be more next year.
BR Day is produced by the entrepreneur João de Matos, who also is the founder of the event, the newspaper The Brasilians, with the support of TV come from neighboring states. This incredible 
audience, waving their flags and wearing the green and yellow colors of Brazil, makes the party even more special.
In this publication’s special edition, we highlight everything that happened this year. You will see the significance of the festival not only to Brazilians who live in the United States, but also to New York, a city that since the very first party embraced the idea of having one day totally dedicated to Brazil and its people.
