Carnival Festivities Commence as Vibrant Parade Enthralls Rio de Janeiro

Rio Carnival is in full swing as revelers adorned in glitter and minimal attire flood the streets, bringing vibrant energy to cities throughout Brazil.

This iconic five-day celebration, which kicked off on Friday and runs until Tuesday, serves as a final hurrah of indulgence before the solemnity of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday in this predominantly Catholic nation.

Globally renowned for its lively street parties and vivid spectacles, the festival features musicians, drummers, and stilt walkers, all of whom entice thousands to bask in the warmth of the South American sun.

Rio de Janeiro hosts the most famous of these celebrations, with an anticipated attendance of around six million people this year.

However, the spirit of the carnival extends nationwide, with jubilant crowds gathering in various towns and cities across Brazil to partake in the festivities.

The highlight of the event for many is the huge organised dance parades, which see samba schools dance the night away on enormous floats and in elaborate costumes. 

Hosted in Rio, Sao Paulo, Vitoria and Olinda, the acts, which performers prepare for months, are judged by a panel, who will eventually crown a winner. 

Locals and foreigners alike will flood to Rio’s famed Sambodrome, among other venues across the country, to catch the dance parades.

The annual five-day festival, which began on Friday and will last until Tuesday, marks a last gasp of excess for the Catholic country before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday. Pictured: A samba school parade in Sao Paulo this week 

It is world famous for its raucous street parties and colourful displays, with musicians, percussionists and stilt artists drawing thousands out into the south American sun. Pictured: A samba school parade in Sao Paulo this week 

The celebrations in the city of Rio de Janeiro, which some six million are expected to attend this year, are the most well known – but the festivity is a nationwide phenomenon. Pictured: A samba school parade in Sao Paulo

The facility, which seats some 80,000 spectators, will form the centrepiece of the city’s festivities, with drums, cymbals and trumpets taking over the Rio soundscape. 

This year’s parades celebrate a range of themes, including sex workers, the late Brazilian singer-songwriter Rita Lee and Black communities in the Amazon. 

But beyond the staged performances, thousands of partygoers, many scantily clad and covered in glitter, are also making their own fun out on the streets. 

Crowds have gathered all over the country to soak up the sun and music before the sacrifices of Lent begin. 

One such reveller roaming the streets of the historic Santa Teresa neighborhood in Rio on Friday was Braulio Ferreira, a 48-year-old entrepreneur. 

He participated in the city’s iconic Carmelitas street party dressed as Jason Voorhees, a character from the Friday the 13th horror movie franchise.

‘It’s very nice and satisfying to see so many people happy from abroad, enjoying carnival with full-on happiness,’ Mr Ferreira said.

The carnival begins when the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, selects a so-called King Momo, who will preside over the festivities. 

Merrymakers have also been turning out in full force in other towns and cities across the country. Pictured: A samba school parade in Sao Paulo

The highlight of the festival for many is the huge organised dance parades (pictured, one such event in Sao Paulo)

These performances (pictured, one such event in Sao Paulo) see samba schools dance the night away on enormous floats and in elaborate costumes

Hosted in Rio, Sao Paulo, Vitoria and Olinda, the acts (pictured, a performance in Sao Paulo), which dancers prepare for months, are judged by a panel, who will eventually crown a winner

Locals and foreigners alike will flood to Rio’s famed Sambodrome, among other venues across the country, to catch the dance parades. Pictured: A samba school parade in Sao Paulo

This year’s parades (pictured, a performer in Sao Paulo) celebrate a range of themes, including sex workers, the late Brazilian singer-songwriter Rita Lee and Black communities in the Amazon

But beyond the staged performances, thousands of partygoers, many scantily clad and covered in glitter, are also making their own fun out on the streets. Pictured: The iconic Carmelitas street parade in Rio 

Crowds have gathered all over the country to soak up the sun and music before the sacrifices of Lent begin. Pictured: The Carmelitas street parade in Rio

The carnival begins when the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, selects a so-called King Momo, who will preside over the festivities. Pictured: The Carmelitas street parade in Rio 

He gives the symbolic monarch the key to the city, which ushers in his five-day ‘reign’ over the celebrations. Pictured: The Loucura Suburbana street parade in Rio 

In that time, Momo’s role, which symbolises society being turned upside down during carnival, is simply to participate in the parades and promote the joy of partygoers. Pictured: The official Carnival opening ceremony in Rio 

But not all is plain sailing, as in Rio, a recent wave of thefts by groups of young people acting at carnival events have raised serious concerns. Pictured: A samba parade in Sao Paulo

Many have called on both Mayor Paes and the city’s governor, Claudio Castro, to do more to guarantee revellers’ safety. Pictured: A samba parade in Sao Paulo

The public order department of Rio’s City Hall, along with the municipal police, have said a special patrol operation has been set up to alleviate worries in the community. Pictured: A samba parade in Sao Paulo

A reveller from the Academicos do Tatuape samba school performs during the carnival parade at the Anhembi Sambadrome in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Saturday 

Dancers from the Academicos do Tatuape samba school perform during the carnival parade at the Anhembi Sambadrome in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Saturday 

Performers from the Dragoes da Real samba school perform during the carnival parade at the Anhembi Sambadrome in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Saturday 

A reveller from the Dragoes da Real samba school performs during the carnival parade at the Anhembi Sambadrome in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Saturday 

Dancers from the Colorado do Bras samba school perform during a carnival parade in Sao Paulo, on Saturday 

He gives the symbolic monarch the key to the city, which ushers in his five-day ‘reign’ over the celebrations.

In that time, Momo’s role, which symbolises society being turned upside down during carnival, is simply to participate in the parades and promote the joy of partygoers. 

This year’s Momo is 30-year-old Danilo Vieira, a Rio native, who said before his symbolic coronation: ‘The rules still apply, of course. 

‘We have to follow the rules of our city, our country, but Carnival is run by me.’

He continued: ‘Carnival is love, carnival heals. A kind of magic happens, bringing joy to every heart, to all races, to everyone.’ 

In 2024, Mayor Paes issued a decree making the ceremony crowning Momo an annual official event, enshrining it as a regular day in the city’s calendar.

But not all is plain sailing, as in Rio, a recent wave of thefts by groups of young people acting at carnival events have raised serious concerns.

Many have called on both Mayor Paes and the city’s governor, Claudio Castro, to do more to guarantee revellers’ safety.

Former local councillor Luciana Boiteux took to Instagram earlier this month to voice her fears – and demand better lighting and preventative community policing. 

‘Carnival is meant to be a time of joy, but what we’ve been seeing at the street parties in Rio, beyond the fun, is fear,’ she wrote. 

The public order department of Rio’s City Hall, along with the municipal police, have said a special patrol operation has been set up to alleviate worries in the community. 

Around 1,100 agents have been assembled to monitor the street parties from start to finish for any potential trouble.  

And teams specialising in violence against women will also be present at key locations to offer support and guidance.