What is Carnival in Rio de Janeiro like? Understand and prepare for 2023!
THE Rio de Janeiro Carnival It is one of the most important celebrations in the country and stops the wonderful city for several days.
This festival competes with the beautiful beaches and mountains surrounding the city, which lasts almost a week, bringing everyone together in a single spirit.
It is no wonder that thousands of tourists, from Brazil and abroad, go to enjoy the week of Rio de Janeiro carnival to spend days of intense fun and joy.
One of the highlights of Rio's carnival is that there are options for all tastes and budgets, from street blocks, open to everyone to participate, to the famous samba school parades on Marquês de Sapucaí.
If you are wanting to know more about the Rio de Janeiro Carnival and want to get ready to enjoy the festivities in 2023, be sure to follow this text until the end.
Let's go!
Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
THE Rio de Janeiro carnival It is a very popular festival that provides fun for a wide range of audiences, as it features street blocks, a school parade at the Sambadrome and even very glamorous balls.
Today, Rio's carnival is considered the greatest show on Earth, and is broadcast, especially the samba school parades, to millions of people.
The city of Rio de Janeiro is packed and non-stop during Carnival, which can last almost a whole week.
However, anyone who has always been like this is mistaken, because today there are residents of the capital who travel to other cities to escape the intensity of the Rio de Janeiro carnival, the scenario was different a few years ago.
Until the arrival of the new millennium, the carnival period was one of the quietest for those who wanted to visit Rio de Janeiro.
At this time, it was common for the streets to be empty almost every day, as the Rio de Janeiro carnival It was limited to the Sambadrome, for the parades, and to the clubs where the private blocks and dances took place.
Only the Banda de Ipanema block paraded through the streets, but it didn't come close to the crowds that it brings to the city today.
Currently, the Rio de Janeiro carnival in the streets is a unique event during the carnival days, making the streets explode and attracting thousands of people, much more than those who go to the Sambadrome to watch the parades.
For this reason, planning in advance is essential so that you can guarantee your hotel room and know where you are going, how much you will spend and other important details to avoid last-minute hassles.
The Rio de Janeiro Carnival Samba School Parade
Throughout the year, Rio de Janeiro's samba schools prepare to look great in the carnival parade and try to win this competition.
The parade of Rio de Janeiro carnival It has been taking place for almost 40 years at the Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí, conceived by Darcy Ribeiro and designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, in 1984.
This event already takes place at Marquês de Sapucaí, but on the street itself, with grandstands and the famous boxes set up on site so that people could watch the parades, to be removed after the party.
Since then, the Sambadrome has become one of the city's tourist attractions and is open to the public outside of the festival season. Rio de Janeiro carnival.
Samba schools need to develop their own “Samba Enredo” every year and it is sung by thousands of people, with the main focus always being on the school’s lead singer.
He is the one who sings on the loudspeaker and many become famous for their powerful voice and the rhythm they manage to create in the audience along with their drums.
The sound of school drums is considered one of the most exciting and engaging in the world, which is why people always fall in love with it. Rio de Janeiro carnival.
The Samba school parades always take place on Sunday and Monday. Rio de Janeiro carnival, So if you are interested in watching one or both days live at the Sambadrome, you should start planning now.
Rio de Janeiro Carnival: Carnival Bands and Blocks
Another great attraction of the Rio de Janeiro carnival It is the street carnival, with bands and carnival blocks. One of the biggest expectations of the public, in fact, is to know the dates on which each of them will take place. But what is the main characteristic of this type of event in Rio's carnival?
The blocks can take to the streets both in the afternoon and early evening throughout the days of Carnival and, whatever the day and time, it is normal to see revelers always following them, as well as the bands, which play the Carnival marches.
Partygoers always organize themselves so that they can go out at a specific time and day, they give names to the blocks, which are ironic or funny, very traditional in the Rio de Janeiro carnival.
These names can refer to a specific fact about the city or even to the place where the group originated, such as the neighborhood, or even a joke that gives rise to how they are known.
Now the bands of Rio de Janeiro carnival These are amateur bands and they are formed by musicians who want to play carnival marches and lots of samba so that everyone can enjoy.
People then gather around the stalls and blocks and follow them along the entire route, so that everyone has fun for several hours.
You will find many blocks and bands that not only sing traditional carnival songs, but also those that they themselves compose for this occasion.
The best thing of all is that there is no impediment to participation at this time, any party-goer can join the blocks and bands that are passing by, something traditional in the Rio de Janeiro carnival.
The Banda de Ipanema is one of the most famous and today it is the one that is always remembered by everyone, leaving on the 2nd Saturday before the days of Rio de Janeiro carnival, as well as on Carnival Saturday itself.
It is normal for bands to go out at least twice around the city, in the days leading up to the festivities and during the Rio de Janeiro carnival, so people can enjoy it for several days.
There are some blocks in Rio de Janeiro that have more than 90 years of history and are quite popular in the city.
Some of the main bands and blocks in Rio de Janeiro carnival, depending on where they celebrate, are as follows:
- Sympathy is almost love and the Banda de Ipanema on Ipanema beach
- Bola Preta Cord in the center of Rio
- Leme Band, Sá Ferreira Band and Santa Clara Band on Copacabana beach
- Armpit of Christ, in the Botanical Garden, one of the most famous in the Rio de Janeiro carnival
We always recommend it, if it is your first Rio de Janeiro carnival, that you at least go and see the Ipanema band, which brings thousands of people to the streets.
It parades through some streets in this neighborhood, mainly Avenida Vieira Solto, and the people who follow the band take over the entire street and also the sand on Ipanema beach.
Dances at Rio de Janeiro Carnival
Another option for those who are going to enjoy the Rio de Janeiro carnival is to get to know the carnival balls. Today, you can find options that fit the budget and tastes of practically anyone, so it's easy to choose which one you want to enjoy.
Most of these balls do not make any major demands regarding clothing and costumes, and many of them are open to anyone who wants to pay to attend. Rio de Janeiro carnival.
Spread across Rio, many clubs organize their dances at their own headquarters, but there are also some other places that hold their parties.
For example, there is the ball at the Copacabana Palace Hotel and it is more expensive than most, so you need to prepare your wallet if you want to enjoy it there. Rio de Janeiro carnival. You can also find some balls that are more themed and some exotic, as is the case of the famous Scala ball.
The city government itself is responsible for organizing popular dances for the general public, such as the one that takes place in Cinelândia, which is located in the center of Rio. If you don't want to spend money on private dances, pay attention to the dates that the city government will announce closer to the carnival Roio de Janeiro.
Additionally, research private dances to find out when and where they will take place and ensure your presence at the festivities.
Rio de Janeiro Carnival… The Biggest Party in the World!
As you saw, the Rio de Janeiro carnival It is one of the best in the country and is a world-class event, which is why it attracts so many tourists from all over the world.
In this text, you learned more about this carnival so you can prepare for 2023, as everything about the street blocks, carnival balls and samba school parades that take place at the Sambadrome was shown here.
With this information, you will be able to make your plans from now on to enjoy the festivities. Rio de Janeiro carnival next year!
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