Rio’s new beach regulations run counter to the city’s laid-back spirit
Visiting a beach in Rio de Janeiro might never be the same again. A 16-point decree by Rio’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, will impose strict rules on the use of public space along the city’s famous coastline. Some of its points are well thought through; I do feel deeply aggrieved when I go to the beach and someone beside me is playing bad music on a loud speaker. Likewise, e-scooters are due a curtailing and restrictions on streetside performances using animals are long overdue.
But many of these rulings go too far and are ridding Rio of its laid-back charm. To restrict live music from beachside kiosks is just perverse. What would Rio be without impromptu samba sessions by the sea?
Yet there are still more baffling prohibitions. Paes proposes a ban on selling drinks in glass bottles. We Brazilians know the value of an ice-cold beer – and glass is a key ingredient. If you want tepid lager in plastic cups or aluminium cans, go to Cornwall and leave our chopp (a draught beer served in frozen glasses) alone. A similarly joyless new rule is that beach kiosks will no longer be allowed to have their own independent names. That means no more catchy shop signs: “Paraiso Tropical” will be henceforth known, solemnly, as “Stall 46”.
Despite some of these petty decrees, Paes is still a big Rio enthusiast. The mayor garnered international attention after working hard to welcome big-name stars for free gigs on Copacabana Beach (Madonna in 2024 and Lady Gaga this year), attracting more than three million people. He’s clearly not opposed to fun, which is essential when you’re mayor of this town. “But I would prefer to lose a vote than be an incompetent mayor and have a messed-up city,” he said. Gaga might garner a bigger crowd but Rio is defined by the rhythms of its spontaneous local talents.
In a city where beach and urban life are deeply entwined, striking a balance is important. Tweaks to the rules can be made with community involvement. Rio is a place where the beach’s unspoken customs and conventions create a welcoming environment for all, a great leveller in this vast city. Tinkering with that should, therefore, be done delicately. And, while it’s hard to complain when sitting in a deck chair with some iced maté from one of the beach vendors, especially if it’s named Ooh Lala, more restrictions and less independence will erode Rio’s personality and force its beaches to resemble their identikit Australian and American cousins. What next? Will they forbid drinking by the beach too? Meu Deus!
Pacheco is Monocle Radio’s senior correspondent and host of ‘The Stack’. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today. Or, if you fancy a dive into a Brazilian town that’s doing things right, read our feature on how Balneário Camboriú became the country’s mini-Dubai here.
