Downtown Rio de Janeiro, encompassing Mauá Square (Praça Mauá), the Museum of Tomorrow (Museu do Amanhã), and the Olympic Boulevard (Boulevard Olímpico), will host the three-day G20 Social event from November 14 to 16. In addition to the hundreds of self-managed activities, the G20 Mayors’ Summit, the Cria event, and the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty Festival are also taking place. President Lula will be present on November 16.
How many square meters can hold the stories and demands of organized civil society from Brasil and worldwide? It’s hard to provide an exact answer. Still, Brasil’s G20 presidency aims to address this with the choice of space that includes Mauá Square, the Museum of Tomorrow, and the Olympic Boulevard in downtown Rio de Janeiro. Over the next three days (November 14, 15, and 16), more than 70,000 square meters will make up the G20 Social Territory, where hundreds of fairs and self-managed activities, the G20 Mayors’ Summit, the Cria event, and the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty Festival will take place.
But after all, how is this Territory physically organized?
Mauá Square (Praça Mauá): This space will be open for free circulation, and starting at 5:00 pm, the Festival will kick off its activities. The Brazilian Ministry of Indigenous Peoples will have an interactive activity, “Indigenous Land, Preserved Land,” with sensory activities focused on raising awareness about the agenda of protecting Indigenous lands as a factor for biodiversity conservation and tackling climate change.
Olympic Boulevard (Boulevard Olímpico): At Warehouse 1 (Armazém 1), starting from Mauá Square, Cria will be held, featuring G20 Talks—daily panels with prominent figures from Brasil and abroad discussing the main themes of Brasil’s G20 presidency. Warehouse 3 (Armazém 3) will host self-managed activities on November 14 and 15. On November 16, the space will welcome Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who will assume the G20 presidency in 2025, to receive the document of recommendations from the engagement groups.
Self-managed activities will also take place at Warehouse Kobra (Armazém Kobra). It will house the press area, and activation stands for state-owned companies such as Banco do Brasil, Brazilian Development Bank, Caixa Econômica Federal, Itaipu Binacional, and Petrobras. In the Warehouse, there will be space for breastfeeding and child recreation. Legal guardians will be responsible for the care of minors.
At the end of the Boulevard, Utopia Warehouse (Armazém Utopia) will be the meeting place of Urban 20, the G20’s city engagement group. The event is open to the public from November 14 to 16. On November 17, when the G20 Social activities are already closed, the U20 plenary will take place, bringing together mayors and delegations from more than 100 cities, with President Lula present.
Furthermore, along the Boulevard, the G20 Social fair stands will be set up, featuring food services, books, publications, crafts, and various services. The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples will also have its fair, with 30 exhibitors from 24 indigenous peoples from the country’s five regions, including handicraft and socio-bioeconomic products. Redariums are already installed on the route as a resting point for the G20 Social audience.
