Dedicated to contemporary performing arts, the MITsp – São Paulo International Theatre Festival  is renowned for its critical approach, its encouragement of experimentation and its strategic role in promoting and enhancing Brazilian culture and strengthening international exchange.

Throughout eleven editions, MITsp has remained faithful to these vocations, even in the face of adverse scenarios. Held in various theatres and cultural spaces in the capital of São Paulo, the festival offers an overview of national and foreign works committed to research and innovation, connecting artists, researchers, students, and spectators around scenic experiences that question the present.

Born in 2014 from the meeting between Antonio Araujo and Guilherme Marques – respectively artistic director and general production director – the event is organised by the Olhares Instituto Cultural association. For over a decade, MITsp has established itself as a theatrical platform for dialogue between Brazil and the world, valuing perspectives outside the hegemonic centres and expanding the presence of artists, companies and themes from the Global South. Issues such as racism, transphobia and the artistic production of people with disabilities and historically underrepresented groups are woven throughout the programme, reinforcing the festival’s commitment to inclusion, democratisation of access to culture and the defence of freedom of expression.

In 2018, the festival created MITbr – Plataforma Brasil, a programme that strengthens the internationalisation of the performing arts developed in the country by welcoming programmers and curators from Brazilian and foreign venues and festivals, encouraging the circulation and construction of networks for national works. Over the course of its six editions, 70 national shows and 40 artists and companies have already circulated at international festivals.

In addition to international and national performances, MITsp is structured around reflective and educational fronts. In Critical Perspectives, it promotes lectures, roundtable discussions, seminars, and public interviews. In Educational Actions, it offers workshops, masterclasses, and artistic residencies, creating an environment of continuous exchange between artists, students, and the general public. The MIT+ Platform extends this reach into the digital environment, making part of the festival’s collection and memory available.

From 2014 to 2025, MITsp presented 198 shows from 49 countries, reached more than 215,000 spectators and promoted more than 450 reflective and educational activities, occupying more than 50 venues in the city. The São Paulo International Theatre Festival received awards for best cultural event from APCA in 2015 and Bravo! in 2016, in addition to being part of the official calendar of events in the city of São Paulo.

In 2026, MITsp, now in its 11th edition, will take place from 6 to 15 March, renewing its role as a bridge between Brazilian theatre and the global theatre scene and as a space for meeting, listening and collaborating to imagine possible futures for the performing arts.