A soirée on Friday, a boat for the river procession and singing until the last pilgrim passes: inside Varanda de Nazaré, the VIP Círio Fafá de Belém created in 2010

Every October, Belém gets an address coveted by artists, journalists and celebrities: Varanda de Nazaré. Created by singer Fafá de Belém in 2010, the program was designed to host guests during the Círio de Nazaré, a Catholic procession that draws around 2 million devotees and was recognized by UNESCO in 2013 as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The 16th edition began on Tuesday (6), runs through Círio Sunday (11) and carries extra weight: it coincides with the Pará-born singer's 70th birthday and 50 years in music.

More than a VIP box, the idea is to let guests experience the whole Círio, with a deep dive into Amazonian culture and identity. In 2026, the schedule opened with the 4th Varanda da Amazônia Forum, themed 'Amazon, a feminine noun', featured a Fafá concert at the Theatro da Paz on Thursday (8) and reaches its traditional soirée this Friday (9). On Saturday, the group follows the river procession in the morning and the Trasladação procession at night; on Sunday, the Círio itself. This year's concept is 'Courage that blossoms in faith'. 'My relationship with Nazaré was never a faith that tells me to stand still,' the host sums up.

The rituals repeat with variations each year. In 2024, according to CNN Brasil, guests had a meal prepared by local chefs on Combu Island, on the banks of the Guamá River, and a traditional Pará breakfast for 150 people aboard a boat on Guajará Bay before the night procession. On Sunday, Fafá sang from a stage at Estação das Docas from dawn, when the first pilgrim passes, until the last one went by.

The guest list always makes news. For 2026, Fernanda Gentil, Paulo Vieira, Marcelo Serrado, Fernanda Paes Leme, Thelminha and Lucas Selfie are confirmed. In 2024, the Varanda welcomed names such as Dira Paes, Letícia Colin, Matheus Nachtergaele, Gaby Amarantos, Wanessa, Teresa Cristina and Alane Dias — comedian Paulo Vieira, for one, usually joins the rope, the most fought-over part of the procession. This year the event is sponsored by Vale, Magalu, Cerpa and Oncológica.