Hiro-10 and Stefani win Breaking do Verão 2026 in Rio

Hiro-10 clinched the title in Rio, and Stefani won on her debut: Breaking do Verão 2026 ended today at Fundição Progresso with huge finals.

Brazil’s biggest breaking festival held its 5th edition this Sunday (01/25) inside an arena built at Fundição Progresso in Lapa, Rio de Janeiro. After intense national and international battles driven by hip-hop, Japan’s b-boy Hiro-10 took the 2026 crown. He had finished second at BDV in 2024.

In the women’s bracket, Stefani — a Ukrainian b-girl based in London — captured the trophy in her first appearance at the event. Along with the title, each winner earned a R$ 20,000 cash prize.

World finals and prize money

The b-boys final featured Hiro-10 against Russia’s Bumblebee. In the b-girls final, Stefani faced Russia’s Vavi, who won Breaking do Verão in 2025.

For the second year in a row, Fundição Progresso hosted the festival, which ran across four days. The crowd showed up in force, reacting to battles packed with technique, musicality, and originality on the floor.

Judges and expanded cyphers

The judging panel included Brazilian b-boys Migaz and Rudá, plus international standouts Lilou (France) and Lego (United States), and Belgian b-girl Madmax.

Ahead of the finals, the festival broadened access with “Cypher” qualifiers held for the first time in Recife (PE) and Salinópolis (PA), alongside stops in Porto Alegre (RS), Brasília (DF), and Rio de Janeiro (RJ). The goal was to create more pathways for breakers from different parts of Brazil.

The headline addition for 2026 was the Prova de Fogo round, contested by the top 12 from Cypher Rio alongside the winners from the other qualifiers. The top three b-boys and b-girls from this stage advanced to join 13 invited athletes in the World competition.

Breaking do Verão is presented by Petrobras and the Government of Brazil, with Cheetos® as master sponsor, Sprite as sponsor, media partnership with Bandsports and Band TV, produced by Fábrica, and delivered by Brazil’s Ministry of Culture. The event is funded through the Rouanet Law.

Foto: Ggone Bergamo