Published on 10/14/2026 · by Leandro Caldas, glazier, founder of Routeck and creator of the Arena
How to apply for Arena do Vidro: joining the next season
In every episode of the first season I left the same invitation: if you think you're good, go to the site and sign up. The plan for the next season is to bring in glaziers from outside to challenge the champion, Janael Hipólito, who took the R$ 10,000 in the final.
In this post I explain how to apply for Arena do Vidro, what the form asks for and, more importantly, what the first season showed about what a contestant needs to be able to do at the bench.
How to apply
You apply right here on the site, in the "Apply" section of the home page. There are only a few fields:
- Full name and email.
- WhatsApp number with country and area code: that's how the crew contacts the people selected.
- Years in the glass trade.
- Your Instagram handle, so we can see your work.
- "Why should you be on the show?": tell us what you do best at the bench and why the spot should be yours.
Your details are used only by the Arena do Vidro crew to get in touch. If you're selected, the crew reaches out on WhatsApp. You don't need to send a video or a résumé with the application: your Instagram already shows a lot of what you do.
How to nail the "why should you be on the show" field
This is the field that counts most. Don't just write "I want to win". Everybody does. Tell us what you do every day: organic-shaped mirrors, shower doors, LED mirrors, sandblasting, installs. Talk about what you've mastered and, if you're brave, about your weak spot. In the first season both contestants talked openly about their limits, and that made the competition more real.
What to expect: nobody knows the challenge ahead of time
The Arena's main rule is spontaneity. In the first season, only my crew and I knew the format. Not even the judges knew what was coming. The contestant arrives, signs the contract, straps a GoPro to his chest and finds out the challenge on the spot, with the clock already running.
So there's no point studying one specific challenge. What matters is being well-rounded at the bench. Here's what the first season demanded:
| Episode | Challenge | What it demanded |
|---|---|---|
| EP1 | Copy a Hello Kitty mirror in 1h30 | Break-out, hand-cut vinyl, sandblasting, edging curves, LED, touch button and mounting |
| EP2 | Make a mirror in 10 minutes and sell it on the street | Quick shape and finish decisions, nerve to approach people, a sales pitch |
| EP3 | Hand-cut a shape matching a template, without touching it, in 20 minutes | Transferring measurements and the drawing, freehand cutting, break-out without cracking |
| EP4 | Free-standing mirror with a metal frame, in 60 minutes | Cut planning, welding, clearance in the measurements, structure |
How to prepare
- Practice cutting and breaking out by hand. Machines help day to day, but in the Arena the challenge may be doing it without one.
- Learn processes outside your routine. In the final, both men used a MIG welder for the first time.
- Plan before you start. Whoever used the planning minutes well suffered less later.
- Know how to sell. EP2 showed that making the mirror is only half the job.
- Handle criticism. The panel doesn't go easy. Vinícius's question applies to everyone: "would you buy what you made?"
- How do I apply for Arena do Vidro?
- The form doesn't ask for any payment: just fill in your details on the site. The crew contacts only the people selected, through WhatsApp.
- Do I need a CNC machine to take part?
- No. In the first season, one contestant worked with a more manual process, not used to CNC, and made it to the final fighting point for point.
- What's the prize?
- In the first season the champion took home R$ 10,000. The call for the next season is to challenge the champion for that same prize. The crew passes each season's rules to the people selected.
Watched all four episodes and thought you'd do better? Then stop commenting and get to the bench: applications are open here on the site.
Apply now · Full episode 1 · Janael Hipólito, the champion to beat · How to cut a mirror into shapes