The Coala Festival arrives at its 12th edition this weekend in São Paulo. The event, founded by Gabriel Andrade, has a mission to make the world listen to more Brazilian music and works with two main objectives: building audiences for new "headliners" and the international expansion of the festival.
Brazilian music has been gaining more and more strength at festivals and stages across the country in recent years, establishing itself as the protagonist of a scene that spans generations and styles. Gabriel Andrade states that "we are living in a golden moment in Brazilian music production" and highlights that the Coala's curation model has been absorbed by the market over these 12 years.
When the festival emerged, in 2014, Brazilian festivals had a greater focus on foreign artists. This reality has changed significantly since then, and Coala contributed to this transformation by promoting Brazilian music as the protagonist of its editions.
Since 2024, the event also takes place in Portugal, marking the first international expansion. The idea, according to the founder, is to establish itself in Europe first and then continue expanding to other markets.
