A childhood resident of Bixiga, in central São Paulo, chef João Marcos Yajima, 50, has a collection of videos sent by neighbors bothered by the excessive noise in the early hours, when a part of the traditionally bohemian neighborhood reaches the peak of its vocation with samba circle shows and sidewalk performances.
Rua 13 de Maio has the largest number of bars that install speakers at the door to attract young people who gather on the sidewalk and even occupy part of the street. The movement attracts itinerant drink sellers, who supply the night until morning.
The neighborhood’s bustling morning routine intensified throughout this year as the famous Bixiga Street became a hotspot for impromptu performances of piseiro, a kind of stylized forró, alongside the already well-established samba circles.
The success of piseiro singer Rom Santana, the most popular attraction that attracts crowds to hear him sing in the street, has led the president of the Conseg (Security Council) of Bela Vista, Silvana Cunha, to monitor the social networks where the performances are announced.
“They announced there would be a street dance and we managed to stop it because the bar didn’t have a license for that event,” he says. “The singers are in the middle of the street, I receive dozens of complaints from residents.”
The same complaints from neighbors reach the chief in the form of videos sent by residents of streets filled with people and excessive noise. He has maintained a social media profile for four years dedicated to drawing attention to neighborhood issues.
“Before, I received more videos, more than ten per weekend, but people are tired of complaining and no longer trust public authorities,” he says. “I take medication to sleep,” he continues.
The same difficulty is reported by another resident of the neighborhood. “We no longer have peace on May 13,” says cook Helia Bispo, 69, a neighbor of a nightclub that keeps her up at night on weekends.
“We feel abandoned because these bars and nightclubs are not monitored by the town hall,” he continues.
The president of Conseg says that some bars at 13 de Maio are already operating in Vila Madalena, a neighborhood in the west of the capital also known for its bohemianism, which a few years ago also mobilized residents uncomfortable with excessive noise on weekends.
According to the direction of Mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB), two establishments were closed this year on 13 de Maio and Conselheiro Carrão streets after an inspection carried out by the Urban Silence Program (PSIU). During the same period, the Sé sub-prefecture reported having authorized eight events on Rua 13 de Maio. New actions will be carried out in bars in the region, according to the administration.
Accustomed to the neighborhood’s nightlife, Yajima reports that the problem of excessive noise has worsened in recent years. “We are not against nightlife in Bixiga, but there must be some sort of regulation.”
Between July and September of this year, the town hall received 202 complaints of public order disturbances from residents of Bela Vista, a number similar to that of the same period last year, when there were 207 reports.
Complaints for disturbances of public order increased by 40% between 2015 and 2024, from 31,500 to 43,900 registrations, according to official data from municipal management.
The volume of registrations reached last year is the second highest in the decade analyzed, narrowly surpassed by the 45.3 thousand calls made in 2023, of which the month of May marks the end of the pandemic.
This year, 36.9 thousand calls were recorded between January and September, a value which already corresponds to 84% of the total recordings for 2024.
The Pinheiros district, in the western zone, was the champion of complaints to the Psiu in 2024 with 929 files.
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