Brazil celebrates National Funk Day amid legislative push

Brazil marked National Funk Day on 12 July with a series of public events. A new festival, Funk In Bauru, will run on 22 August with artists such as MC Rodolfinho and MC Kako, while a free concert called Funk na Praça took place on 18 July in São Paulo’s Grajaú district.

The day was officially recognized by a 2024 law signed by President Lula, honoring the 1970 Baile da Pesada. At the same time, the genre faces a wave of legislative proposals; a survey counted 63 bills in the first half of 2025 aimed at restricting funk gatherings and performances. The most visible is the “anti‑Oruam” bill introduced by São Paulo councilwoman Amanda Vettorazzo, which would bar municipal contracts for events deemed to promote crime or drug use.

Despite the political pressure, funk continued to grow commercially, becoming the fastest‑rising genre on Spotify worldwide in 2025 with a 36 % increase in streams. Artists such as Kevin o Chris, Tati Quebra Barraco and Anitta defended the music as a cultural expression of Brazil’s peripheries.