Carnival in Rio is an incredible experience--nearly a week-long celebration for the entire country. Companies close down, stores shut their doors early, and roads are closed off to make way for the dancing in the streets. If you're in Rio, you'll surely stumble across many parades and parties--it's hard not to get caught up in the intoxicating excitement. Dates for upcoming Carnival celebrations:
- 25 February - 2 March 2006
- 16 - 21 February 2007
- 1 - 6 February 2008
- 20 - 25 February 2009
- 12 - 17 February 2010
Balls
During Carnival week, many organizations hold parties in local nightclubs. For some, you can buy tickets at the door while for others you'll need to buy them in advance. You can buy them as part of tour packages or on your own from your concierge. You should do your research beforehand, though: all Carnival balls are NOT the same--some are very chic, others require costume. Here are a couple of our favorites:
Flemengo's Red and Black Ball honors the local favorite football (soccer) squad, Flamengo. You'll see many participants dressed in Flemengo jerseys while others will be wearing red or black.
Copacabana Palace hosts a very chic (and appropriately expensive) gala Ball on Saturday night. While it's difficult to get tickets, if you do you'll be joined by local celebrities, politicians, and the upper crust of Rio. Be sure to impress with your costume and attire.
The Samba Parade at the Sambodromo
This internationally-televised 2-night event is actually a competition among a dozen or so "Samba schools," who have been preparing their costumes, floats, and dance numbers for an entire year. The scene is nothing short of spectacular--you haven't been to Carnival if you haven't attended. Each samba school has a set amount of time (about 20 minutes) to march their samba school (of anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dancers) through the Sambodromo and in front of the judges, thousands of fans, and dozens of television cameras that broadcast the show to hundreds of thousands of people across the country.
Therefore, EVERYONE attends and it can be hard to get tickets. One section in particular, is designed for tourists--section 9 offers more comfortable seating than the rest of the Sambodromo. While there are no rules prohibiting tourists from sitting in other sections, the other sections tend to be overcrowded (combined with the less-comfortable bench seating, this stuck us as dangerous).
Check out this diagram of the Sambodromo.
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