Lent starts on Valentine’s Day this year, but Rio de Janeiro won’t let a minor religious observance issue interrupt the world’s biggest party. Fasting is preceded by festivities; eight days of music and dancing to the crazy rhythm of samba drums, where the city’s famous schools competed for awards, sequins, lace and feathers competed with bare skin. Carnival “Body, farewell!” It may mean. but no one is in a hurry to cover it up.
What exactly is Carnival?
Carnival – Portuguese for Carnival – is entertainment and general overindulgence before the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter.
Since the date of the latter varies according to the lunar calendar, Carnival is a moveable feast; This year’s Rio Carnival falls between February 9-17.
Why is Rio Carnival the biggest?
The city began its love affair with Carnival in 1723, when Portuguese immigrants from the Azores, Madeira and Cabo Verde islands introduced the Entrudo, a Shrovetide parade. At the time, Salvador was the capital of Brazil, but Rio (which would become the capital in 1763) was a major port city.
The Rio Carnival really took off from the 1920s, when samba schools were established and neighborhoods began competing in costumes and choreography. There are more than 70 samba schools, including 12 “elite” schools with between 2,500 and 3,500 dancers and performers.
24-hour TV coverage means Brazilians from all over the country can watch and follow developments. The event now has a Twitter account @RioCarnaval however, the low number of followers (19.6K) indicates that virtual samba dancing is a minority activity.
How much will it take?
From noon on the Friday before Ash Wednesday until the following Saturday – that is, the Rio Carnival brazenly intrudes on the day of abstinence. This is because the Winners’ Parade is held on Saturday, February 17, although the main official events take place over four days from February 9 to 12.
Where does it all unfold?
The first official Rio Carnival parade took place in 1935 in the Praça Onze square in the city center and remained at this location for 30 years until it was moved to Avenida Presidente Vargas. In 1983, renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer, known for creating the futuristic center of Brasilia, was commissioned to design a parade stadium. The purpose-built Sambadrome is located on Marquês de Sapucaí street, which runs at right angles to Avenida P. Vargas.
The processions take place at night, so the Sambadrome opens around 5pm and performances last from 10pm until 4am, or even until 6am the next morning.
While ticket-holding spectators watch the samba schools parade, many more Rio locals and tourists, known as cariocas, attend street parties and side events throughout the city. These range from formal balls and masquerades to raucous outdoor dance parties featuring music played by street bands known as “blocos”. The oldest street group, Cordão de Bola Preta, founded in 1918, used to perform on Copacabana beach but is now based on Avenida Rio Branco in the centre; More than a million people come to these concerts.
How many people attend the Rio Carnival?
The Sambadrome can accommodate more than 80,000 seated spectators and 5,000 performers at a time; In total, at least 30,000 dancers and musicians participate.
An estimated two million people attend each day’s events, and six to seven million over a four-day period.
Which is the best samba school?
A panel of 40 judges examines the dancers’ movements, costumes, songs, quality and technique. Schools are divided into league tables.
Imperatriz Leopoldinense, whose performance centers on a bandit leader and folk hero from the northeast, won the Elite award in 2023, 22 years after his last title. The Grande Rio school, which highlights prejudice against Afro-Brazilian religions, won the Elite award in 2022. The 2021 event was canceled for the first time in a century due to the pandemic. Viradouro won in 2020 and finished second last year.
Mangueira (2019 and 2016 winner) and Salgueiro (2009 winner but consistently top-ranked) are two of the best known and most successful samba schools. Schools prepare from October (and sometimes all year round) and visitors can attend rehearsals.
Do the amazing dances have a message or story to tell?
Samba schools, many of which have deep connections to slums or slums, have long used their demonstrations to celebrate diversity, protest against political regimes and highlight social injustices. You can find more information about the history of Samba schools here.
Does everyone have to dance the samba?
Informal street parties are all fine, but samba is important as a communal dance in Rio. Modern Carnival gained its vibrant colors and dynamic dancing styles as Brazilians of African descent were allowed to participate. Slavery was banned in Brazil in 1888, and it is no coincidence that the first blocs (street parties) appeared the following year.
How much does it cost and can I still buy a ticket?
Grandstand tickets are still available from $14 (£11) for Friday and Saturday and $214 (£169) for Sunday and Monday when Private or Elite school groups perform. The tribune consists of concrete steps or stands. The prices of allocated chairs and boxes are higher; the box is $1,194 (£945) for Sunday, while the Super Folia VIP seat (with champagne) for the Parade of Champions is $1,544 (£1,222).
Some seats are still available on all days in most categories. Prices are per person. For tickets, visit riocarnaval.org.
Are the hotels fully booked?
Most hotel rooms and flights to Rio are booked well in advance for Carnival, but Hotels.com offers a two-night stay in a double room at the Orla Copacabana (February 17-19) for £327 (excluding breakfast) (an extra £7 each). offers. . Lastminute.com has hotel plus flight packages for the Carnival period from £2,900 per person. It’s a little late to organize a trip this year, but nothing is impossible for those willing to pay top dollar.
If you are planning ahead for next year Journey Latin America has a nine-day holiday during Carnival £3,400 per person, including Sambadrome seats but excluding flights.
See our guide to the best hotels in Rio.
Is Carnival safe?
Brazil has high levels of street crime, most of which is low-level pickpocketing. People wear casual clothes, even beach clothes and flip-flops, for Carnival, and it’s wise not to wear expensive watches or carry flashy cameras or phones. Criminals target drunken revelers.
FCDO advises: “You should be especially careful before and during the festive and carnival period.” It is also warned not to go from the Corcovado walkway towards the Christ the Redeemer statue for now, as armed robberies have been reported.
What else is there to do?
Besides its famous beaches, Rio has excellent art galleries and museums, world-class restaurants and a thriving nightlife. To the east of the city are the resorts of Búzios and Cabo Frio, while to the south and west are the Costa Verde, a 350-mile strip of lush hills, beautiful beaches, towns (including Paraty) and near-shore islands ideal for driving holidays. .
Our Rio de Janeiro guide has tips for the best restaurants and bars in the city.
Where are there other big carnivals?
In Brazil, the cities of Salvador de Bahia, Recife, Olinda, São Paulo Carnivals and Minas Gerais are considered important showcases. In Salvador, known as the Bahia Carnival, there are trios elétricos, musical groups with sound systems, that wander around the city on floats. The event, like the city, has a strong African accent and dances range from samba to whatever is trendy in the area.
Bolivia’s Carnaval de Oruro, featuring a traditional dance called La Diablada, is one of the largest festivals in the Andean region; It was included in UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage list in 2008.
The carnivals of Gualeguaychú in Argentina and Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, are important to the residents of these cities and attract small international crowds.
See our guide to the perfect two-week holiday in Brazil for more information.