Bahia invests over R$150 million in power upgrades for São João festivals

Neoenergia Coelba is spending more than R$150 million to expand, modernise and reinforce Bahia’s electricity grid ahead of the São João celebrations. The company inspected over 2,000 km of distribution and sub‑transmission lines, carried out 3,500 vegetation trims and repaired roughly 1,100 points in the system, adding new equipment and extending transmission networks to ensure continuous power for festivals in dozens of municipalities.

In Amargosa, the state tourism agency is conducting a survey of visitors expected to reach 70,000‑100,000 per day. Officials forecast the event will move about R$50 million through the local economy and create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs. Local officials and entrepreneurs highlighted the festival’s importance for hospitality and commerce.

The Bahia government has also published the full programme for São João in Salvador on 20 June, with free events spread across five city poles. The lineup includes nationally‑known forró and popular‑music acts such as Cavaleiros do Forró, Jonas Esticado, Márcia Castro and many others, aiming to draw thousands of residents and tourists to the capital’s historic and coastal districts.