Rio de Janeiro Carnival (Portuguese: Carnaval do Rio de Janeiro) is a festival that takes place every year before Lent (Lent is a 40-day period of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Holy Thursday at sundown. It is a time of preparation for the celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter); it is considered the greatest carnival in the world, with two million people on the streets every day. Carnival is an exuberant ceremony of food, alcohol, music, and good times.

History

Rio’s first Carnival festival took place in 1723. Carnival is celebrated throughout the country; celebrations vary slightly by provinces, but Rio de Janeiro’s celebration is the most famous one, drawing 500,000 foreign visitors from around the world each year. The elaborate parades staged by major samba schools are one of the standouts of Rio’s Carnival. 

What’s Going On Out There

The classic Rio carnival parade is packed with partygoers, floats, and adornments from Rio’s numerous samba schools (more than 200 in total, divided into five leagues/divisions). A samba school is made up of local neighbors who want to go to the carnival together and share a common regional, geographical, and historical background. The samba schools prepare for their Carnival parade entries all year, and the massive Sambodromo (samba stadium) facility was designed primarily to feature the parades. While all Brazilians enjoy Carnival, the black communities are the most enthusiastic attendees. This is most likely due to the community’s cultural devotion to Carnival, as African slaves were freed on annual basis for the duration of the festival. Residents of Rio’s (mostly black) favelas, or slums, are especially enthusiastic about Carnival, entering samba schools and constantly working hard on costumes. Carnival and samba are as beloved and important to them as soccer.

The 2022 Carnival was postponed due to the Covid 19 situation, but it finally took place in April (20-23, Champions Parade April 30). 

Carnival King

King Momo is regarded as the Carnival King in many Latin American celebrations, particularly in Brazil and Colombia. His appearance marks the start of the Carnival celebrations. Each carnival has its own King Momo, who is frequently presented with the key to the city. Because the original King Momo was of that physical stature, a tall, fat man is traditionally chosen to play the role. On Friday, the first day of parades, King Momo and his queen officially opened the Carnival. On Friday and Saturday, the Gold or Access Group paraded, followed by the Special Group Parade on Sunday and Monday.

Champion’s Parade

The renowned Champion’s Parade, also known as the Winners’ Parade, reunites the Champion and five runners-up to celebrate victory and to conclude the Rio Carnival Samba Parades. The Champion’s Parade is regarded as the most joyful of all samba parades. The reason for this is that the top six Samba Schools – the big Champion and the five runners-up – earn their final chance to celebrate by putting on a great show, this time without the burden of being judged and the responsibility of perfection. The parade is all about celebrating Rio Carnival by dancing and singing. Yes, it is the most laid-back night at the sambodromo.

There are numerous reasons why you should visit Rio de Janeiro during the Carnival time, but let’s list just a couple: entertainment – throughout the night, numerous parties and events take place at various locations, and you may run into one of them and have the time of your life; the best music artists in Brazil – If you are fond of the vibes and feel of Brazilian music, you get to hear the best of the best from Brazil as they tend to convey laid-back and happy emotions, and when you’re at the carnival, it’s time to enjoy some of the best forms of music.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook