New Year's Eve on Avenida Paulista 2025/2026 Renato Pinheiro/SECOM The City of São Paulo presented, this Monday (8), an appeal (embargo for declaration) against the decision of the Superior Council of the Public Ministry (CS-MP) that established a series of conditions to allow the holding of up to two free mega shows per year on Avenida Paulista, in the center of the capital. The central point of the dispute is City Hall's requirement of "zero cost to the treasury", which obliges private sponsors to cover 100% of expenses, including services that the administration considers inseparable from public action. The city hall argues that the imposition, if interpreted absolutely, is unfeasible for large events aimed at millions of people. According to the document, services such as the organization of traffic by CET, the diversion of bus lines by SPTrans and security by the Metropolitan Civil Guard generate operational costs that the municipality has the institutional responsibility to provide. In the appeal, Ricardo Nunes (MDB) management also argues that the implementation of cultural policies is the prerogative of the public manager. The city hall maintains that the prohibition of any expenditure violates federal and municipal laws to encourage culture, such as the Rouanet Law and Pro-Mac, in addition to the constitutional duty to guarantee the population's access to leisure and culture. SP City Hall studies free international megashow in Paulista To reinforce the argument, the petition cites examples of other cities and traditional events, such as Carnival in Salvador and festivals in Barueri, where public resources are used to hire artists and infrastructure. "It is not reasonable to prevent the Municipality from contributing, including financially when necessary and duly justified", states the text signed by André Lemos, municipal secretary of Justice, and Luciana Nardi, attorney general of the municipality. In May, the CS-MP decided to ratify an agreement signed with the municipal management to review the Conduct Adjustment Term (TAC) that, since 2007, limits events in Paulista to three per year: LGBT+ Parade, São Silvestre Race and the New Year's Eve party. The Nunes management planned to promote a free show in September, but the current scenario is one of uncertainty given the new impositions. In the embargoes, the Nunes administration alleges that the Public Ministry made a "unilateral addition" to the TAC judgment, including 22 conditions without the municipality's consent. The appeal says that these obligations "are not included in the TAC signed by the Municipality, that is, the public entity was not obliged, at any time, to comply with them". The text also argues that any failure to comply with the conditions cannot be considered non-compliance by the public authorities. Bands U2, Foo Fighters and Coldplay are among the names listed by the city hall to perform for free in SP Marcelo Brandt/Luiz Gabriel Franco/Celso Tavares/g1 According to the questioned rules, the city hall must present a series of technical surveys to approve each event in Paulista. This includes safety planning, sound impact studies and emergency protocols with area hospitals. The appeal asks the MP to define the new rules not as requirements, but "as guidelines and recommendations to be observed as appropriate, depending on the nature, dimension and peculiarities of each event". The body was questioned, but has not yet clarified the deadline for analyzing the appeal. Residents' associations contest the release of megashows In addition to the City Hall's appeal, the CSMP received embargoes for clarification presented by representatives of residents and regulars in the region, who point out contradictions and omissions in the decision that allowed new shows on Avenida Paulista. The MovPaulista association, which represents local residents and traders, and the Paulista Boa Para Todos movement claim that the result of the trial was not clear enough and question the lack of civil society participation in the process. According to the documents, while the Attorney General of Justice announced that the approval of the agreement was conditional on the incorporation of all 22 conditions, the final text published last week softened this requirement, using terms such as "where applicable" or "in principle". Residents fear that this flexibility will allow the city hall to fail to comply with measures considered essential for noise control and safety. Furthermore, the appeals ask for clarity regarding the restriction of events during election periods, a concern raised during the trial that was not made explicit in the final document.