Brazil's Global Moment: From Brazilcore Fashion to Record Tourism

Brazil is having a moment. Celebrities and record numbers of tourists are arriving in the country, while Brazilian culture — from Oscar-nominated films to funk music — draws growing international attention. Global fashion brands and influencers are leaning into the trend.

For decades, many Brazilians have lamented that their country's cultural output went under-appreciated, a sentiment captured by the long-standing idea of a "mongrel complex." But as foreign attention consolidates in 2026, some observers see a shift underway, symbolised by the rise of "caramelo pride" — a widespread celebration of the caramel-coloured street dogs that have come to represent the country.

Brazil has captured the world's imagination before, and Brazilians cyclically remark that "Brasil está na moda," or Brazil is in fashion. Many trace the current phase to 2023, when Brazilcore — a fashion trend featuring the colours of the national flag and inspired by Brazilian culture — gained global traction. Celebrities including Bad Bunny, Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Bieber, Tina Kunakey, Sabrina Carpenter, Alex Consani and Addison Rae have all embraced the trend.

Fashion was "very rigid, with many uniformised clothes. Suddenly came this wave from Brazil showing more skin, using more colour," said Néli Pereira, a PhD candidate in cultural studies at the University of São Paulo. The spontaneity and vivid palettes resonated amid a craving for light-heartedness.

Brazilcore has since morphed into a broader global phenomenon celebrating "brasilidade," or Brazilianness, extending beyond fashion into music, dance, cinema and sport. It appears on high streets worldwide in the form of bikinis, micro-shorts, crochet pieces, soccer shirts and accessories. Fast-fashion giants such as Zara and H&M have released tops in green and yellow or emblazoned with Rio de Janeiro, while Chanel, Jil Sander and Schiaparelli have referenced Brazil's national colours.

The hype has translated into record tourism. More than 9 million visitors came to Brazil last year, a 37% increase over 2024. Online jokes abound about the CPF — an individual's fiscal identity in Brazil — being the new sought-after green card.

In Rio, visitors head to the Rocinha favela dressed in Brazilcore, paying for drone footage of themselves on a terrace before the camera pans out over the city's landscape. Such videos have gone viral in recent months. "If you don't do the video with the drone, it's as if you didn't come to the favela," said Eduardo Maristany, a 30-year-old tourist from Barcelona who recently toured Rocinha. Like many others, he chose Brazil after seeing a flood of social media videos about its favelas, beaches and parties.

International stars have also engaged directly. Madonna, Lady Gaga and Shakira performed free shows on Copacabana Beach in 2024, 2025 and 2026 respectively, each drawing at least a million concert-goers, according to Rio City Hall figures. In 2024, Bruno Mars posted a video of himself dancing to funk, seemingly getting a Christ the Redeemer tattoo and posing with a caramelo dog; it has more than 13 million likes on Instagram and ends with the words: "I love you Brazil." Rosalía and Dua Lipa have also professed their affection for the country online.

Meanwhile, Brazilian culture — from Anitta's funk music to Academy Award-nominated films such as "I'm Still Here" and "The Secret Agent" — is being celebrated on the world's biggest stages, turbocharging the country's soft power.

It is often said that "Brazil is not for amateurs," a phrase that speaks to the complexity of the continental-sized nation, where exuberant celebrations of life — epitomised by Carnival — coexist with violence, poverty and political scandals reminiscent of telenovelas. Brazil's ambiguities "make sense in a world filled with conflicts, inequalities and scarcity," said Bruno Pompeu, a professor at the University of São Paulo's school of communications and arts.

The country's formidable online presence is also fuelling interest. With a population of over 200 million, Brazil is one of the most connected countries in the world, and its social media users showcase a seemingly infinitely multilayered culture. "Brazil pulsates creativity and has this very particular characteristic of interacting on the internet in a collective manner. It's common for content to be quickly transformed into memes and cultural references," said Eduardo Lorenzi, general director of operations for Latin America at TikTok.

Brazilians are known for high engagement, a much-sought-after trait in the attention economy. Courtney Henning Novak, a Californian reader and writer, built an online community composed mostly of Brazilian followers after her rave review of an 1881 book by Brazilian author Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis went viral. "Brazilians love to comment. I get more messages than I can keep up with, and there's a lot of positive energy," she said.

For the global entertainment industry, brands, event organisers, businesses and influencers, Brazil represents a key market and an exceptionally valuable fan base. Vitor Oliveira, a 36-year-old tour guide from Rocinha, credits social networks for the explosion of tourism in his neighbourhood. "Influencers coming here were a game changer and primordial to the increase of tourism in Rio and especially in Rocinha," he said.

Beyond digital engagement, the current spotlight results from a confluence of political, diplomatic, cultural and economic factors, Pereira said, pointing to policies supporting the showcasing of Brazilian culture and a major effort by Embratur, the government tourism agency, to attract visitors.

Like all trends, this one is likely to fade, experts say, predicting that the upcoming election and the return of political polarisation may diminish the association of yellow and green with joy. French comedian Paul Cabannes, who is based in São Paulo and has millions of followers, posts humorous content about Brazil and has watched the number of foreigners producing content almost exclusively about the country soar. "It's a formula that's getting a bit tired. I think it's harder to succeed doing this than before," he said.

In an increasingly multipolar world, many Brazilians believe the country's soft power is here to stay. But Pereira predicts that the "mongrel complex" will resurface if foreign attention fades. "Once people stop giving us those little pats on the head, it'll all come back," she said.