Skip to content »
Skip to second navigation »


Dance through Cobblestone streets during Carnival in Rio de Janeiro

Published by Kristin Cowles, Editor-in-Chief

Country: Brazil

The Experience

Rio de Janeiro savors the title of Carnival Capital of the world, as it hosts the largest, wildest, most indulgent Carnival celebrations annually. The public celebration includes street parties, parades, circuses and masquerades. Some of Carnivals attractions are free like the street carnival but others like the Samba Parade and the marvelous Balls are not, so look to book your tickets in advance. The Samba parade, the highlight for many, takes place from dusk till dawn at the Sambodromo, a 700 meter long parade strip. This show is the stage for an exhilarating competition by the top 14 samba schools, each outfitted in lavish costumes, despite that the participants are usually from the poorest neighborhoods. Each school is accompanied by marching samba bands, floats, and of course the flamboyant scantily clad dancers and singers. With a single school reaching upwards of 4000 people it’s easy to imagine the enormity of the party, as well as the chaos. To avoid pure chaos the organizers give a theme to each year and spend countless hours choreographing and rehearsing to make the parade a seamless ensemble. The atmosphere is so energetic and beats so catchy, that you'll be hard pressed to stop yourself from dancing.

Photos

Map

Puzzle

When to Go to Rio Carnival

This four day pre Lenten celebration starts on Saturday and acts as a prelude to the abstinence that follows on Ash Wednesday. Although celebrated by many Catholic countries, Rio Carnival lights up and lures party goers from all walks of life. Foreign visitors alone total over 500,000 in number every year.

Odds n' Ends

For those who don’t make it into the parade, many residents parade in their own neighborhoods, this is a much more hands on experience as you can join in the dancing and signing. These street processions are free and uncensored fun! If you are looking for a more refined affair the masquerade balls are energetic and jam packed with attendees wearing designer costumes, the most famous of these is held at the Copacabana Palace Hotel.

Want a Guide?

Carnival Experience - GAP Adventures
Experience Rio's biggest party!

More Experiences Nearby

Experience Brazilian Folk Music at Festa de Sao Benedito
Brazil in mid-summer is hot. My wife and I needed to escape the summer doldrums, and so we found a place up the highway where the folks are making music the old way. After reading about a festival of Congo musicians in the local paper, a trip to Timbui up the highway was in store to check it out. In front of the country church, a converging marching band were preparing to parade. Around a street fire, men began playing heavy rhythms, and women started to twirl in white dresses and wave big flags. A shout chorus of Portuguese lyrics ...270 miles away.

Video

Video Wall

You are now being transfered to our Video Wall

Books and DVDs

Time Out Rio de Janeiro (Paperback)
One of the world’s most exciting cities, Rio de Janeiro is a heady mix of stunning beaches and steep mountains, opulence and sprawling hillside slums. This trustworthy guide helps adventurous travelers experience all the city has to offer, from swanky boutique hotels to baile funk parties to the city’s new Guggenheim gallery, scheduled to open in 2007.
Rio de Janeiro - Pick & Mix Chapters
Ready to download. Climb Sugarloaf, get the feel of the favelas and samba off into the sunset. Here are all the chapters of Lonely Planet's Rio de Janeiro guide, ready to download. Just click on the links below.

Elsewhere on the Web

Rio Carnival - Wikipedia.org
Once a pagan celebration in ancient Rome, Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is now considered one of the greatest shows on Earth.
360 degree virtual tours of Carnival in Rio.
Christ Redeemer - New 7 Wonders.com
This statue of Jesus stands some 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro.
Travel Report Brazil - Voyages.gc.ca
WARNINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Media References

WHAT'S DOING IN;Rio de Janeiro (newspaper)
Carnival is the time and Rio de Janeiro the place where Brazilians forget their troubles in an explosion of "fantasia," both in their costumes and in the extravagances that inspire them.
Get Dizzy and Go Brazilian - The Sun.uk (newspaper)
WITHIN 24 hours of landing in Brazil, I found myself on the dance floor at a wedding, in the clutches of a woman attempting to teach me to shake off my British reserve.
When Everyone's a Star, It Must Be Carnival in Rio - NY Times.com (newspaper)
Wearing sunglasses and a headset microphone, she plugged in an electrified cavaquinho -- the small samba guitar -- and began strumming and singing with her group, Slaves of Maua.
Bringing Carnival Back to the People - Time.com (magazine)
It is 6 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon and I am standing in a public square in Rio de Janeiro surrounded by babies in fancy dress costumes. On my left there is a woman dressed as an angel and on my right is a bearded man kitted out as Alice in Wonderland.

Language Guides

Italian , Japanese , Portugese are some of the languages spoken in Brazil. If you know of a freely available phrase book or podcast for one of the missing languages, let us know!

Discussion

Experienced this and have something to share? Experienced something like this somewhere else? Looking for advise or travel companions? Use this space to leave your mark. Our writers and editors are more than happy to help answer your questions.

People who wish to experience


Recent Tweets

Listed below are the most recent comments made on Twitter for "rio carnival":