Setor Marista is the neighbourhood that Goianienses point to when asked where to go out. A compact grid of streets south of Parque Vaca Brava, it contains the city's highest concentration of bars, restaurants, and live music venues, and on Friday and Saturday nights it operates at full throttle from early evening until the early hours.
The music is the point. Goiânia is the capital of sertanejo — the Brazilian country music genre that dominates popular listening across the interior — and Marista's bars are where it is played live. The style ranges from the older raiz (roots) sertanejo to the contemporary sertanejo universitário, a slicker, louder sound that fills the larger venues. Alongside sertanejo you will find forró nights, pagode bars, and the occasional funk event. International music trends arrive here later and depart earlier than in São Paulo; the scene is entirely focused on what Goianienses actually want to hear.
Bars in Marista mostly operate with a cover charge that includes a tab system. Arriving before 10pm tends to mean a smaller cover and a better table; arriving after midnight means joining a queue. The neighbourhood is safe by Brazilian standards but standard city caution applies.