The 2025 edition brought names such as Iza, Zeca Pagodinho, Marina Sena and Baianasystem, in a weekend marked with historical shows and social guidelines.
Last Saturday (28), the twelfth edition of the Sensational Festival took place. The event, based at the Pampulha Ecological Park, in Belo Horizonte, presented big names in Brazilian music in his training. Among the protagonists there were Evinha, Zeca Pagodinho, Iza, Marina Sena, L7nnon and the band Baianasystem. The date marked the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the creation of the Festival.
The sensational has brought together musical performances and the presence of cultural movements not only of the city of Belo Horizonte, but also of Minas Gerais and other regions of the country. This year’s edition symbolizes the growth of the Festival as one of the great musical performances of the Brazilian cultural scene. The program, which balances the consolidated names of national music and the independent scene, is a reflection of the cultural force of Minas Gerais and Brazil as a whole.
The production of Sensational festival He began in 2010 at the Santa Tereza viaduct and was gaining strength year after year. Over time, the event joined the program of the famous beautiful carnival and subsequently consolidated as a powerful and independent festival.
“It is very nice to look at the trajectory of the sensational! Because together with our history you can also tell stories on the cultural scene of the city, making a cut that includes independent music, cultural movements that occupy the city and also the professionalization process of this scene in Brazil and in BH in particular”, says Gabriel Assad, director of the Festival.
We were present at the event and we listed some of the best moments of the holiday date:
Strangles and representativeness to the sensational festival
In addition to the musical attractions, the sensational festival has also highlighted diversity and has made room for relevant debates not only for the city of Belo Horizonte, but also for the issues of state and national repercussions.
The presence and guidelines of the LGBTQIAPN+ movement echoed throughout the party, both in public and in the speeches and performances on the stage. Interestingly, the 2025 edition occurred right in the international day of LGBTQIAPN+PRIDE, date mentioned by the presenters Fatini Forbeck and Rafa Chalub (Essenino).
In addition to the presenters, artists such as Marina Sena, Litrux, Evinha and Iza used their spaces on stage to praise the movement and congratulate the LGBTQIAPN+community.
One of the salient moments was the realization of the Interdrag de Gaymada championship, a cultural intervention that took place on the main lawn and famous diversity with lush looks, pride and delivery. The action was idealized by the Toda Deseo Theater Company and went well beyond Queimada’s games: there were parades with flags of the community, presentations of Lip synchronizationDances, fans performances and speeches on resistance and authenticity.
Another remarkable moment of the sensational was the participation of the indigenous committee of Minas Gerais, which used one of the main phases to speak against mining practices in the indigenous lands and talk about the importance of healing the rivers of Belo Horizonte. The group also involved the public in a collective dance, led by the leaders of the organization.
In addition to the presentation on the stage, the Sensational Festival reported to Umuruama Space, an indigenous rest and care area, in which handmade exhibitions, spot smoke and Palo Santo, fruit distribution and presentations of traditional songs were exhibited.
The Busão 0800 movement was also present, which seeks the implementation of public transport with zero rate in the large BH. The cause has gained strength and already has the support of artists such as FBC and Fernanda Takai, Pato’s singer Fu. During the Festival, the theme was addressed on screening screens and mentioned in the presentations. If implemented, Belo Horizonte could become the first capital in Brazil to offer free buses.
Evinha and the rescue of his successes and his history
In an exciting show that marked his return to the capital of Minas Gerais, Evinha recalled his main shots and commented on the recent use of champions who save his works. He highlighted in particular the track “Want Ver” by the rapper BK, who uses an extract of his composition. The song was played live and the singer thanked for the warm reception of the public, saying flattering for being also recognized to live outside Brazil.
The repertoire also included traces such as “Wait to see” and “What Bandeira”, from the acclaimed postcard album, which served as a conceptual guide of the presentation.
ZECA PAGODINHO: Menting evening for parties and 40 years of career
Zeca Pagodinho’s show began at 16:00 and extended until the end of the gold time of Belo Horizonte. Pagoda’s climate took on the crowd, while Zeca celebrated his 40th career. The brand was highlighted in large screens and the singer, with a glass of wine in hand, spoke of her trajectory.
With sunset as a scenario, the sensational audience sang in successes such as “the prawns that sleep the wave cables” and “Let Life will take me”, creating one of the most exciting moments of the afternoon.
Iza between charisma and performance
Then it was the turn of Carioca Iza to take the sensational phase with an intense and engaging performance based on the repertoire of her latest album, Aphrodhit. The presentation produced moments of strong connection with the public. In one of the most surprising steps, the singer interrupted the show to ask for a fan shirt, to truly self -truck and invite him to receive his rear context that electrified the present.
In addition to the traces of the new album, Iza recalled great successes such as “Pesadão”, “Dona de Mim” and “Ginga”, bringing the public to delirium and collective dance.
L7nnon, Gratitude and space
With the closure of the Iza show, L7nnon took the stage of the sensational, bringing a vibrant show, marked by strong lighting and special participation. The artist presented a preview of an unprecedented song and also celebrated the local scene by singing the track “Nas Acesses”, by the beautiful rapper WS of the Igrejinha, mobilizing the crowd.
The setlist also included songs such as “Marolar Go” and “American American”. In the end, the singer thanked the audience and subsequently published a video of fans on Tiktok who sing “lset” in the choir.
Marina Sena and the delivery show
One of the most anticipated shows of the night was Marina Sena, who went on stage to present the songs of his latest album, Natural Things. The singer spoke of his relationship with the sensational festival and highlighted the thrill of returning to Belo Horizonte, being welcomed by the public of his state of origin.
During the show, Marina commented on her habit of telling “stories”, but regretted not having had time on this occasion due to the short period of presentation. This was the first show of the album tour “Natural Things” on Minas Gerais.
Before his voice, the public has already sung his name. As he got on stage, the artist smiled widely, visibly touched by the warm reception. The presentation presented energy from start to finish: “Carnival” blew the audience “, I returned to me” electrified by their acoustic version and the closure with “Golden Gold” brought a powerful speech on love for themselves, pride and reciprocity. The artist’s show marked one of the largest audiences of the night.
Closing with Baiansystem Energy
To close the night in full force, the BaianSystem group was responsible for the last presentation on the main phases of the sensational. With its intense energy characteristic, the group led to the traces of the audience of the album or Mundo Turns, published on January 16 of this year, ending the festival with vibration and power.
Spectators’ experience and what is coming
At the end of the presentations, we heard some of the spectators present to meet his student of history Renan Almeida was one of those who shared the experience lived in the sensational. In an interview given after the end of the event, Renan spoke of his favorite program and the main motivation that led him to participate in the Festival. A big fan of the singer Marina Sena, highlighted his favorite moment in the program:
“My favorite presentation of the entire festival was the show of Marina Sena. Including, it was his show that encouraged me to go to the festival. And it was, so magical – surreal. I feel that he has a light, free, warm and free with the presence on stage.
In addition to Marina, Renan has tried to meet the repertoire of new artists. Among the experiences, he highlighted the presentation of the singer Iza:
“I think the show that struck me most was Iza, because I had never gone to her presentation. I had obviously heard that it was an experience with a very good energy, that the show was nice to look at and that had an extraordinary theatrical presence. But I was even more surprised because all these statements were true.”
Finally, Renan commented on the atmosphere of the Festival and his desire to return:
“The sensational has an incredible atmosphere – both for the artists who perform both for the events that happen during the Festival. And also for the people! The way everything goes in nature makes the experience very tasty. I would like to go back and already plan in a next edition of Sensational. I want to relive this tasty mood and, at the same time, have new experiences in the Festival.”
The sensational organization of the Festival took the opportunity to announce the 2026 edition, which is already scheduled for 7 and 8 August. The first confirmed headliner is the singer Pabllo Vittar, who will perform on Saturday 8 August, after the traditional opening evening on Friday.
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
