In general, films arrive in São Paulo simultaneously with release in North America and Europe, and are subtitled rather than dubbed. Charging around $4, most cinemas are on Avenida Paulista, but there are also several downtown on Avenida São Luís. All the shopping centres have cinema complexes and show the latest blockbusters. Keep a special eye out for what's on at CineSesc, Rua Augusta 2075 (Cerqueira César); Bixiga, Rua 13 de Maio (Bixiga); Espaço Unibanco de Cinema, Rua Augusta 1475 (Cerqueira César); and the Centro Cultural de São Paulo, Rua Vergueiro 1000, by the Vergueiro metrô station - all of which are devoted to Brazilian and foreign art films. Art-house films are also shown at the Belas-Artes at Rua da Consolação 2423, on the corner of Avenida Paulista.

São Paulo is Brazil's theatrical centre and boasts a busy season of classical and avant-garde productions; a visit to the theatre is worthwhile even without a knowledge of Portuguese. Seats are extremely cheap, available from ticket offices that have details of all current productions: Casa do Espectador, Rua Sete de Abril 127, Centro (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm); and Vá ao Teatro, Shopping Ibirapuera, Moema (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat 9am-3pm). The Brasileiro de Comédia, Rua Major Diorgo 311, and the Teatro Sérgio Cardoso, Rua Rui Barbosa, both in Bixiga, have particularly good reputations.

The traditional focal point for São Paulo's vibrant opera and classical music season is the Teatro Municipal (tel 011/222-8698), in Praça Ramos de Azevado in the city centre, where, in the 1920s, Villa-Lobos himself performed. As an operatic and classical music centre, São Paulo has always been less important than Rio, but now Brazilian and foreign performers divide their time between the two cities. The beautifully renovated Estação Júlio Prestes (tel 011/223-5199) in the bairro of Luz is the home of the world-class Orquestra Sinfônica de Estado de São Paulo and has a new 1500-seat concert hall. Many of São Paulo's churches have free recitals , most notably the beautiful Gregorian chant at the Basílica de São Bento, Largo de São Bento, every Sunday at 10am.