Brazil curbs public spending on artist fees in Minas Gerais, Pernambuco

Governor Mateus Simões of Minas Gerais signed a law that caps public payments to artists at R$ 700,000 per performance for state funds and R$ 500,000 for municipal funds, with limits tied to municipal revenue and provisions for transparency, local cultural participation, and free public access to fully funded events.

In Pernambuco, the Public Prosecutor's Office reported that more than R$ 310 million of public resources were allocated to June festival programs across 184 municipalities and Fernando de Noronha. About 3,300 artists were hired for roughly 5,900 shows, with an average fee of R$ 52.6 thousand, marking a modest rise from the previous year. Both developments highlight growing scrutiny of cultural‑sector spending by Brazilian state and municipal governments.