Stadium food: Reflections on “tropeirÃo” beans and sociability at the “new mineirÃo arena”>

Abstract

This article looks into changes in food and sociability habits at the “new” Mineirão Arena from the perspective of 266 Atlético Mineiro’s fans. It used field research with questionnaires and observations made at the bleachers to provide a brief analysis of the profile of the audience that attended the Mineirão Stadium in 2013-2015. Fans’ speech showed some discomfort with the changes in food and the social experiences that were part of whole football match spectacle. As for fans’ profiles, a high degree of education and employability was observed, and they used to live in places with high Human Development Indices (HDI). This scenario provided new insights into the appearance of urban equipment and food hygiene, indicating a space of dispute on food both inside and outside the stadium, as well as other changes in fans’ sociability.