Virada Esportiva 2025 brings sport and innovation to everyone in São Paulo.

Pickleball stands out with neon courts, a tournament at CERET, and a free refereeing course.

São Paulo once again demonstrated its strength as a capital of sport and inclusion with the Virada Esportiva 2025, an event that transformed the city into a grand stage for physical activities, leisure, and culture. In its most recent edition, the initiative promoted by the City Hall brought together millions of people in different regions, consolidating itself as one of the largest free projects to encourage sports practice in the world.

For 36 uninterrupted hours, the public was able to experience traditional sports such as soccer, basketball, and martial arts, but also be surprised by emerging sports that are gaining ground in Brazil — among them, Pickleball.

The brilliance of Pickleball at the Sports Festival

Among the diverse attractions, one of the most talked-about experiences was the area dedicated to Pickleball, a sport that blends elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. This sport, still relatively new to the Brazilian scene, gained visibility by being presented in an innovative format: neon courts that caught the public's attention with fluorescent lines and blacklight illumination, creating a festive sporting atmosphere.

Activities offered

The public was able to participate in a diverse program, designed to cater to everyone from beginners to more advanced players:

Introductory clinics: teachers and instructors explained the rules of Pickleball, providing rackets and balls so that anyone could try the sport in just a few minutes.

Interactive challenges, including accurate serve tests, the longest rally, and quick mini-tournaments, entertained participants and guaranteed symbolic prizes.

Athlete demonstrations: experienced players demonstrated in practice the speed, strategy, and fun that Pickleball provides.

Pickleball Glow Party: at night, the neon courts transformed into a sporting spectacle with music, lights, and entire families participating.

Tournament at CERET Park

One of the highlights of the sports program during the Virada Esportiva was the official Pickleball tournament held at Parque CERET, which brought together dozens of pairs in fierce competition. The competition attracted both beginners and experienced athletes, becoming a showcase to demonstrate the competitive potential of the sport and reinforcing the inclusive and celebratory atmosphere of the event.

CBP Arbitration Course at PKLR PARK

In addition to the courts and competitions, PKLR PARK hosted the Brazilian Pickleball Confederation's (CBP) Refereeing Course, offered free of charge during the Sports Weekend. This initiative was crucial in training new referees, strengthening the sport's structural base in the country, and preparing professionals to officiate in regional, national, and even international tournaments.

A sport on the rise.

Pickleball's presence at the Virada Esportiva (Sports Weekend) was no coincidence. The sport has experienced exponential growth in Brazil, driven by clubs, academies, and companies investing in its promotion. In the United States, it has been considered the fastest-growing sport for five consecutive years, and the expectation is that it will follow the same path in Brazil.

According to the organizers, the Pickleball area was one of the busiest at this edition, attracting young people, adults, and even senior citizens — proof of the sport's versatility, which adapts to different types of players.

Social and cultural impact

The Virada Esportiva, created in 2007, aims to democratize access to sports, promote health, and encourage interaction between different communities. In 2025, the event reaffirmed its importance as a tool for social inclusion, filling streets, parks, and sports centers with free activities.

In this context, Pickleball symbolized not only a new option for practicing sports, but also the event's capacity for innovation in offering creative, accessible, and engaging experiences.

Voices of the Turnaround

“It was incredible! I had never heard of Pickleball before, and now I want to find where I can play more often. It’s easy to learn and a lot of fun,” said Mariana, 23, who participated in one of the clinics.

For the organizers, the outcome is more than positive: “The idea was to show that sport can be a collective celebration. Pickleball embodies this: it's democratic, quick to learn, and unites different generations on the same court,” stated one of the coordinators of the sport's core group.

Conclusion

The 2025 Sports Festival once again fulfilled its role of bringing movement, health, and culture to the entire city. And Pickleball, with its illuminated courts, tournament at CERET Park, and free referee training at PKLR PARK, emerged from this edition as one of the event's great revelations—an open invitation for more and more Brazilians to discover and practice this rising sport.