Atitude Baptist Church plans to ring in the New Year with a large-scale evangelical celebration at Rio de Janeiro’s famed Maracanã stadium, marking one of the most ambitious Christian events yet to be staged in Brazil’s most iconic sports venue.
The New Year’s Eve gathering, titled “Maravira Rio 2025-26,” is expected to draw about 50,000 people on Dec. 31, according to the Brazilian outlet Good Prime. The initiative reflects a growing trend of evangelical churches using major stadiums for year-end events as faith- and family-centered alternatives to traditional celebrations.
Organizers say the celebration aims to blend “faith, music and moments of prayer in a place widely associated with Brazilian sports culture.” The lineup includes well-known gospel artists such as Fernandinho, Aline Barros, Maria Marçal, Atitude Music, Davi Sacer and Luciano Camargo, along with TV host Yudi Tamashiro. Pastor Josué Valandro Jr., the church’s leader, will preside over the event.
The church said its goal is to offer “a New Year’s Eve celebration centered on family, fellowship among members and the celebration of the Christian faith.”
Large-scale evangelical events of this kind already have precedent. Lagoinha Baptist Church previously held its “Vira Brasil” gathering at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, which was broadcast live by the SBT network and became a notable fixture on both the evangelical calendar and national media programming.
The “Vira Brasil” program featured about 15 performances by singers, bands and preachers. Participants included Ana Nóbrega, Isaías Saad, Eli Soares, Fernandinho, Banda Morada and pastors André Fernandes and Quézia Cádimo, according to organizers.
Original reporting by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.
