Salvador has several Réveillon celebrations, but to international travelers the best free one is the 20-minute fireworks over the Todos os Santos Bay and the music shows planned for the beautiful Farol da Barra area, the lively beach and district around the city's 17th-century lighthouse.
About 600,000 people are expected to be at the Farol da Barra New Year's Eve celebrations. Shows with Beth Carvalho from Rio, one of Brazil's greatest samba singers ever, and Bahia's very own, beloved Mariene de Castro are the highlights around midnight.
As midnight approaches, baianas in traditional dress will greet the audience, wishing everyone plenty of axé - a concept in the Candomblé religion which can be interpreted in a simple way as peace and good vibes.
The show will open with Rumpilezz, a brass band created and conducted by Letieres Leite. The band's musical references all come from Bahia's rich musical background, which results in a classy meeting of jazz and regional rhythms and melodic lines.
Things will heat up in a drastic way when Banda Motumbá takes the stage at 2 a.m.
Motumbá (pronounced mo-toom-BAH), whose yoruba name means a request for a blessing from the orixá Olorum, is one of the greatest revelations in Bahia music in recent years. Known for their infectious beat, the band mingles African and Brazilian roots in work that's secular, yet all guided by the members' Afro-Brazilian spiritual beliefs, based on ancient yoruba wisdom.
TV Bahia will transmit live from Farol da Barra, but unfortunately there's no indication so far that images of the New Year's Eve celebrations will be posted online.
Pôr do Som
The party will continue on the first day of the year with Pôr do Som, which will take place on the same stage as the New Year's Eve shows.
In an impressive tour de force, Daniela Mercury, one of the headliners in this year's Fortaleza Réveillon, is scheduled to sing in this New Year event, which starts at 5 p.m. She should be joined by two other Bahia stars: guest singers Claudia Leitte, who is pregnant, and Vania Abreu.
Réveillon Enchanté
If you're willing to pay for some awesome fun, one of the best places to be on New Year's Eve in Salvador is Clube Espanhol, where Réveillon Enchanté will feature Banda Eva and another queen of Salvador Carnival: Ivete Sangalo.
