The Virada ODS – São Paulo’s Sustainable Development Goals Festival – is a citywide event that promotes awareness and engagement around the United Nations 2030 Agenda. The festival combines a high-level conference featuring university professors, municipal secretaries, and specialists with a pavilion of interactive booths representing each of the 17 SDGs, offering diverse educational activities, workshops, and public services. Alongside its educational component, the event also features cultural presentations, including music, dance, and artistic performances that celebrate sustainability, inclusion, and community participation.
São Paulo SDG Festival (“Virada ODS”)
Official Name of Signatory
Sao Paulo (Sao Paulo), Brazil
Delegation
Brazil
Website of the Signatory
Name of the person presenting the Good Practice
André Ortega
Position/Job Title of person presenting the Good Practice
Advisor, Municipal Secretariat for International Relations – São Paulo City Hall
Aim of the Good Practice
São Paulo has a law that establishes the SDGs as guiding principles for policy formulation and for promoting the 2030 Agenda. Research shows that about half of the Brazilian population has never heard of the 2030 Agenda, and the City Government saw an opportunity not only to create an educational event but also to provide services to the population.
Target Group of the Good Practice
We divide the target audiences into three groups: schoolchildren, school teachers - who are the main focus of the conference as a tool for professional development - and the general public, who can enjoy concerts and cultural attractions, as well as access special services such as healthcare, vaccinations, information, and document regularization.
Annual Monitoring Report
2025
Implementation period
The festival is an annual event that takes place over three days in June.
Consistency over time
The festival held its fourth edition in 2025. It began in 2022.
Evaluation of the Good Practice
The Virada ODS plays an important role in bringing sustainable development to the center of public debate. By combining education, culture, and public participation, the event strengthens São Paulo’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda. It achieves significant media visibility, offers entertainment and cultural experiences for citizens, and provides open lectures that serve as training opportunities for public-school teachers. In doing so, the festival connects awareness, learning, and civic engagement in a dynamic and inclusive way. In 2025, the festival held inclusivity as its main theme.
Key stakeholders and partnerships
University of São Paulo (USP), Olga Kos Institute; São Paulo's Municipal Theater Foundation (FTM)
Link for more information
Future Goal 1
To broaden the territorial scope of the festival by organizing smaller editions in peripheral neighborhoods.
Future Goal 2
To internationalize the event through partnerships and knowledge exchange with other cities interested in developing similar initiatives.