Those who have seen it before come back for more. For first timers the impact is unforgettable.The Parade of the Samba Schools in Rio is one of the greatest shows on earth. The parade is like an opera, in which scenery and fantasy float past the public, the story being told with the song, the symbols, the costumes and the floats, which year by year become more creative. The parade usually starts around 8pm, and goes on through the night, sometimes lasting until dawn, though the rising sun softens the effect and the show is more spectacular at night.

Sections 7 and 9 of the stands are reserved for tourists, and tickets can be bought at travel agencies. It is also possible to obtain tickets for other sectors, and for the covered and uncovered boxes. These should be bought well in advance.The more enthusiastic can apply for a costume, and take part in the parade. Some schools make their costumes available in the hotels for those interested. The concierge can help you realize your dream of parading down the avenue dancing the samba. Each Samba School parades around 4000 people and 10 floats, and the time is limited to 80 minutes.

The Samba Schools in Rio have their own fan clubs, just like the soccer clubs, and the parade, apart from the entertainment and spectacle, is a competition between the schools. Various aspects are judged - the theme song, evolution, the drum band, dancers, harmony, dance-master and standard-bearer, among others. On the following Wednesday, the Carnival Champion is announced, a title disputed as fiercely as the Soccer Championships. There are two unforgettable aspects of the samba parade. One is the march-past of the band, made up totally of drums and percussion instruments, around 300 of them. There is no one alive who would not feel the force of the primeval rhythm that goes right through you and sets your whole being vibrating. The other is the multiplicity of color and beauty of the participants, men and women, their sculptured bodies shining in the floodlights, and a contagious smile on their faces. It’s a ball!

Carnival Dates:

February 17 - 20, 2007
February 02 – 05, 2008
February 21 – 24, 2009

February 13 – 16, 2010