Rio Carnival Costumes
2009 Samba Parade
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Do also participate in the Rio Samba Parade and march with a samba school in the Sambodromo in a 2009 Rio carnival costume.
This is the real thrill, an unparalleled experience - to parade in a beautiful costume, to the heartbreaking beats of samba, on the biggest "stage" in the world.
People who "just" watch the parade say it is a definite must once in a life-time. People who parade want to do it every year.
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To be able to participate you only have to
- buy a costume, which will serve as your "ticket" to march with a school.
- go to the meeting point of your scholl at the right time (about 1.5-2 hours before your school's parading time) in your costume. You do not need to attend any rehearsals. You will understand how to march just following the others and participating in the school's warm-up before entering the Avenue.
You will be in a specific wing of your costume of a particular samba school in support of which you will be parading.
All costume prototypes will be ready in December. You`ll be able to choose your favorite costume and school with the most suitable parading time.
Read and learn more about Rio Samba Parade costumes and learn your samba song.
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How to choose and where to buy your costume
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Do not consider only the visuals. Choose a light costume with a relatively small head-dress. It will make a difference on a hot-night having to wear and march in your costume for at least two hours.
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Buy your costume directly from the president of your chosen costume's wing. The presidents are producing the costumes and they are responsible for the wing. If there is any problem with the costume (e.g. the size) the president has to help you. You have to find your president at the meeting point and they will be there for you to help and put you into the right place. If there is any major problem with the delivery or the costume you can complain about your president to your school. (Nevertheless a few schools, like Porto da Pedra, do not use presidents. The school produces and sells the costumes itself).
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Avoid intermediaries or agencies. They do not offer any added value only charge at least 60% on top of the original price, acting as pure brokers. They do not produce the costumes and do not have any responsibility towards the school. They will only delay the delivery as they can only deliver to you after they receive the costumes themselves (which sometimes happens last minute). They might also fail to pass on some specific rules of your wing's president, not quoted on this page. If you buy from an agency and anything goes wrong you might not be able to participate and will not be able to complain to anyone. They are not responsible for the costumes. They will also not be present at the meeting point where you will have to meet the president of your wing anyway. Thus best to be in touch with your president beforehand.
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Order the right costume and (Brazilian) shoe size. All Rio Carnival costumes are produced in S, M, L and XL. The president will need only a few vital measurements to give you the fitting costume.
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Try to buy your costume in the first two weeks of January when usually all costumes are still available. However you will find costumes, sometimes with huge discounts, even a few days before the Parade for the less sought-after schools.
Where to choose your costume
You will only have to choose your costume. To be notified when the 2009 Rio Carnival costumes are ready for viewing and selection, please send us an e-mail. We will send you an e-mail and let you know when they are available, at the beginning of December 2008. |
General rules for participation
You have to have with you and wear all pieces of your costume. Nothing else can be seen with or on you (like other pieces of clothing, bags, cameras etc.) Do not change or substitute any parts of your costume. Most people already arrive in their costumes at their meeting point as there are no changing cabins. If you prefer changing there, just wear some bikinis or shorts and do as some of the locals do and feel free to change in the street.
Be also careful with all your costume items. Do not wear them anywhere before the Parade.
Be careful with the amount of alcohol or any drugs you might take before the parade. If any director of the School or your president notices that you are intoxicated you will not be allowed to parade because you could jeopardize your school's whole year's work.
Video and picture cameras are absolutely forbidden during the Parade, and rightly so, because they could spoil the procession and the glamour of the costume. But nothing and no-one will stop you from taking photographs during the preparation times, still outside the gates, as long as you find somewhere to put your camera before entering the gates (someone with you could keep them for you).
Do co-operate with and follow the instruction given by your president. He/she might prohibit you from parading if he/she finds anything wrong (e.g. with your costume).
During the parade, pay attention to your wing's flow of and cooperate with the stewards. Avoid gathering on only one side or leaving gaps, which can occur if people keep to only one side of the run-way, leaving the other side empty. The wing must parade and proceed in a symmetrical and evenly spread fashion, keeping the lines you formed during the warm-up.
How to get there
The best and easiest way is by taxi or by subway. (It is fun to arrive by metro. You will see lots of fellow paraders in costumes). Both are safe and leave you very close to the Sambodromo when all other traffic comes to a still-stand around the Sambodromo and in almost the whole city. Avoid taking busses there.
You have to arrive about two hours before the parading time of your school, for the preparation and to meet your wing's president and to see where the wing will be within the school. It is really interesting and worthwhile to move around and see the huge, richly decorated floats from so close, mix with the artists and models who will be on the floats, meet the older people from your school or the drummers who will be getting ready for their triumphal times. All samba schools meet on Rua Presidente Vargas, which is right next to the Sambodromo at the beginning of the samba run-way, near Sector 1. You only have to know the side of your school (whether it is the side of the even or odd-numbered sectors)
You only have to find your wing. It will be very easy, around 100 other people wearing the same costume like you. Look out for and report to your president.
You can take almost any place within the wing and you will soon form single lines. You should try at this time to stay next to your friends.
Try to arrive already wearing your costume. No problem to have it on, on the streets or in the subway or taking a taxi, everyone does it. There are no changing rooms or any lockers there.
After the school's paraders arrive, the school will prepare itself and complete the final touches for the big moment of entering the Avenue.
You can arrive much earlier if you like; it is possible and also great fun just to wonder, look and marvel around there.
Your president will make sure that you wear your costume right and you will quickly learn the little steps and ways how the paraders march through the Avenue.
You can have other people with you, who can take pictures and have fun with you and who could later take your unnecessary stuff. They only have to leave at a later stage, when you will pass the gates, after which moment no more way in or out. Just don’t arrive late and miss the closing of the gates for your school.
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