The Festa do Peão de Barretos has built a legacy of hosting major international artists alongside Brazil's top country performers in São Paulo state.
Over its more than 70 editions, the festival in the interior city of Barretos has celebrated traditional caipira culture and sertanejo music. While local country acts remain the core attraction, the rodeo arena has regularly welcomed global pop, disco, and country superstars.
Colombian singer Shakira opened the door for international artists at the rodeo when she performed at the event in 1996. At 19 years old, she had recently landed major hits from her album Pies Descalzos, including "Estoy Aquí", "Dónde Estás Corazón?", and "Un Poco de Amor", which were dominating Brazilian radio stations.
Wearing black braided hair and leather trousers, she performed barefoot on stage while playing both guitar and harmonica for the audience in interior São Paulo.
Country icons and early international pioneers
American country star Garth Brooks first took the stage at Barretos in 1998 before returning 17 years later for a landmark performance in 2015. During his return show, he invited Brazilian country duos Fernando & Sorocaba and Chitãozinho & Xororó, singer Paula Fernandes, and television host Xuxa Meneghel to join him on stage.
Brooks covered all travel expenses for himself and his band out of his own pocket. He also donated 100 percent of the ticket proceeds from the concert directly to the Barretos Cancer Hospital.
In 1999, country singer Alan Jackson performed as one of the era's biggest international stars. His setlist featured prominent hits such as "Chattahoochee", "Livin' On Love", "Mercury Blues", and "Gone Country". Television networks covered the performance, and Jackson featured on the covers of Brazilian magazines at the time.
American artist Reba McEntire headlined the 45th Festa do Peão de Barretos in 2000. Known as the Queen of Country, she performed alongside Chitãozinho & Xororó, following their prior collaboration on a duet version of the song "Coração Vazio (We're All Alone)".
Pop and disco stars on the rodeo stage
The festival demonstrated its musical diversity in 2002 by booking Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha. The group became one of the most unexpected and memorable acts in the event's history, combining newly released songs with signature hits including "Take On Me", "Hunting High and Low", "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.", "Crying in the Rain", and "Stay on These Roads".
American disco singer Gloria Gaynor also appeared during the 2002 festival, performing in the Rancho Memorial area. The pinnacle of her show came during her rendition of "I Will Survive", which inspired a broad crowd singalong.
Pop star Mariah Carey served as the main international attraction at the 55th edition of the rodeo in 2010. Performing for slightly over an hour, she sang hit tracks including "Shake It Off" and "It's Like That".
Carey delivered the concert while pregnant with her twins, Moroccan Scott Cannon and Monroe Cannon, who were born approximately eight months after the performance.
Arena crowd records and modern country headliners
The Chris Weaver Band made its festival debut sharing the stage with Fernando & Sorocaba on the main rodeo stage. The American country group developed a strong connection with attendees, leading to confirmed return bookings across the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2023 editions.
In 2017, the group recorded a live project in Brazil in collaboration with sertanejo artists including Fernando & Sorocaba and Marcos & Belutti.
Canadian country icon Shania Twain performed at the 63rd Festa do Peão de Barretos in 2018, driving the arena to maximum capacity. The concert represented the only Latin American show of her career and required one of the largest stage infrastructure investments in the festival's history.
Grammy Award-winning American singer Cody Johnson made his debut performance in Brazil at the festival in 2025. Organizers booked the modern country star specifically to restore the tradition of international country acts performing on the arena's main stage.
