Rio Carnival Site Features

The Sambadrome parades

The centerpiece of Carnival is the competitive parade at the Sambadrome, where Rio's top samba schools perform in front of tens of thousands of spectators. Each school spends the year preparing a themed performance -- costumes, music, and multi-story floats all built around a single story -- and is judged on how well every element comes together across its roughly 80-minute slot on the avenue.

Blocos and street parties

Away from the Sambadrome, hundreds of blocos (also called bandas) take over neighborhoods across the city with free, open-air street parties. Some, like Bola Preta -- the oldest and largest, drawing well over a million people -- have been running for generations, while others are small enough to feel like a block party. Banda de Ipanema is known for its brass band and elaborate costumes, and it's these blocos, rather than the ticketed Sambadrome seats, that most visitors experience Carnival through.

Balls and other celebrations

Beyond the parades and street parties, Carnival season also brings glamorous costume balls that run through the night, along with neighborhood music groups performing throughout the city -- giving the celebration a rhythm that continues well beyond the Sambadrome's main event.