Rio Carnival
Country: Rio de Janeiro
When: 24th February- 1st March 2017
9th February-14th February 2018
Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is one the world’s most celebrated festivals. Over 1 million people take to the streets of Rio, the capital of Brazil, to celebrate. The Festival takes places in the lead-up to Lent, the Christian fasting period before Easter religions celebrations. Carnival is also a competition, of sorts, between the local Samba dancing schools.
There are many different sides to this large festival but the main focus is on the parades and dancing that occur around the Sambodrome. The Sambodrome has spectator positions and provides a great vantage point from which to you can watch the festival unfold. Floats, dancing, music and thousands upon thousands of people create a vibrant and exciting atmosphere.
The festival is a hub for travellers and visitors from all over the world.
There are neighbourhood street parties and balls (both large and small) held across the city. Rio’s famous beaches also become key party locations. The festival is so widespread that it is almost impossible to miss.
Festival Videos
Key highlights
- Hundreds of street parties. These are organised by local samba schools, are mostly free events and are a great, inexpensive way to enjoy the festivities and sample the local culture.
- Exciting free street parities to check out include; Monobloco, Cordo do Bola Preta.
- Well-known parties such as Band of Ipanema are highly entertaining and feature a wide array of parades and celebrations. The event starts at the Praca General Osorio in late afternoon and carries on throughout the night.
- Sambodrome is the key location from which to watch the parades. Tickets are required.
- There are many balls staged throughout the Brazilian capital with the most famous being the Gay Ball, Copacabana Palace Ball, Beer Ball and City Ball. These are all ticketed events and you will need to secure yours well in advance.
- Costume and fancy dress are a big highlight of the Carnaval Rio de Janeiro. You can purchase costumes throughout the city, but dressing up is certainly not compulsory. Just wear a bathing suit and you will fit in fine.
Where is it
Carnival Rio de Janeiro is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in South America.
How to get there
The festival is throughout the Brazilian capital city. Flying into Rio is serviced by most major airlines. Rio’s airport is situated 20km away from the city centre and can be reached via taxi or buses
Another popular way to reach Rio is via a cruise ship. Catching a cruise is popular and easy to get on from the USA or from many of the islands in the Caribbean.
Where to stay
Booking accommodation during Carnival is always going to be difficult and city centre locations book up especially quickly. A good tip is to book somewhere near one of the beaches of Rio as each has a high concentration of nearby accommodation. Some of the most popular beaches for working holidaymakers and travellers include: Ipanema, Leblon, Barra, Angra and Copacabana.
Cheap accommodation can be found in the Centro district of Rio. This area is also great for nightlife with an abundance of clubs and pubs. This is also where the Sambodrome is located which makes it particularly handy for attending the carnival parades.
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Booking with a tour company for the carnival is a good way to ensure you have accommodation and will see some of the best elements of carnival. Always ensure the tour company you book with is ABTA registered.
Useful information
More information on Rio de Janeiro festival: