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Find out everything about the 2020 Carnival Events - schedule, event details, dates, times, location, recommendations and ticket details. Visit us regularly, because your 2020 Carnival Online Guide will be dynamically updated by our team to keep you abreast of all the details of this great party, of which the main guest is you!
The 2020 Rio Carnival officially begins on Friday, March 1st. and ends on Tuesday of Carnival, March 5th. If you arrive in the city before the official start of the Carnival, do not miss the chance to participate in some of the many events that shake Rio de Janeiro in the pre-carnival period. It's super nice!
Sunday, February 23rd. and February 24th.
This is the most important parade, the highlight of Rio Carnival. The show that makes Rio de Janeiro the capital of the world carnival is a must. Everything revolves around the Carnival of these two nights. The schools belonging to this group provide the best spectacle, they are magnificent, surpassing each year in increasingly elaborate and highly visual presentations. The two nights are similar, in which the 12 best samba schools are divided between Sunday and Monday. Choose the day that best fits your schedule. The gates open at 5pm, opening ceremony at 8pm, and the parades begin at 10pm.
Friday, February 21st. and Saturday, February 22nd.
There are 14 big samba schools in this group, where the Champion will parade between the 12 schools between the main schools the following year, causing a very interesting dispute. Due to the greater number of schools parading in a single night, the parade time for each of them is slightly lower than that granted to each of the main schools. The parades start at 9pm
Tuesday, February 25th.
Here you can see the next generations of each samba school from the earliest age already involved in Carnival, including the same disputes and rivalries. Children from all participating communities learn early to defend the colors of their schools. It is important to note that in order to participate in the parades, all children must prove that they are enrolled in school, since in most communities a very interesting social work is done throughout the year, and the fight against school dropout is the main line of action in all of them. As a prize for the year of study, the small samba artists can parade through their respective junior schools. Their parade follows the procedure of the great schools. The parades start at 7:00 p.m.
Rio de Janeiro, the capital of Carnival, offers a huge variety of carnival balls that take place in the pre-carnival period and during the carnival. Certainly one of them will suit your profile. Most dances have tickets at very reasonable prices and take place in places where the reveler arrives without major difficulties. Tickets for most dances range from R $ 300 to R $ 700. The great exception is the dance at the Copacabana Palace hotel, the most luxurious in the city, aimed at an audience that wants to enjoy the carnival without giving up sophistication. In this ball the obligatory attire is black-tie or luxury fancy. Other great dances take place in Scala, located in the center of the city, very close to the Cinelândia subway station. Clube dos Caiçaras and the Hard Rock Café da Folia also organize lively fancy dance for adults and children.
In most carnival balls, there is no obligatory use of costumes, just wear a comfortable and appropriate clothing to the heat that makes in Rio de Janeiro in the period of Carnival. Either way, feel free to use a costume or even improvise one. This will greatly help in the relaxation and will make your night even more special. Remember that Rio is the capital of the carnival and that the whole city is partying in this period. Go, participate, use your favorite costume and fall for the party!
The best carnival dances usually have bands that play throughout the night, varying the repertoire between old carnival marches and sambas plot that were marked in the memory of the party.
Saturday, February 22nd.
This legendary Carnival ball is not only the highlight of Carnival, but also the most famous carnival ball in Rio de Janeiro and the natural choice for glamor and sophistication. Luxury costumes, black-tie evening dress are required. In this environment you can find a number of local and international personalities among the guests.
All tickets for this ball include buffet, dinner and drinks freely, as well as guarantee your access to all the ballrooms. The lowest value tickets are the individual tickets for the track, without the right to the table.
Although not having assigned seating, there are chairs available on the balcony and in other areas near the buffet.
In operation for 50 years, the Scala Rio offers themed dances every night during Carnival, being part of the grand Carnival of Rio. The place is big and well-known.
Local: Scala Rio - Avenida Treze de Maio 23, Centro
You can buy your ticket for a table with 4 seats, stateroom or track, and in the first two cases, other revelers will share the same space with you, which is a good opportunity to meet new friends and create a funny group!
Lounges are per person and include free consumption of alcohol (except whiskey), free buffet with sushi, fruit and snack bar.
The minimum age of entry is 18 years
Friday, February 21st.
Tonight is dedicated to the oldest band in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Going with the band shirt is almost a rule (white with black balls). It is one of the most popular of the nights.
Saturday, February 22nd.
It is a good opportunity to experience the samba and atmosphere of one of the most traditional and well-known samba schools in Rio de Janeiro, without visiting its samba hall. The school is almost complete - its drumming band, its main samba dancers, and, of course, their flag-bearer and her escort. On this day, samba reigns with all the vigor of the host school. Feel free to dance samba all night long or if you resist the powerful drums and animation of the other revelers, which is one of the most awaited carnival in Rio.
Sunday, February 23rd.
This night is dedicated to the City of Rio de Janeiro, with carnival marches and old and traditional sambas of the city.
Monday, February 24th.
Recently inserted in Scala's carnival calendar, the ball offers free beer all night long. Live music with a Carnival band taking turns with a DJ from Rio, making it one of the most eclectic dances in the city in terms of musical variety.
Tuesday, February 25th.
This is probably the most famous night in the series. The exotic collection of characters, drag queens, transformers flood two floors of the club. The dance is broadcast all over Brazil. It always attracts a lush crowd and its admirers.
Although it is a gay-oriented party, it is recommended to anyone who wants to have fun in one of the city's most relaxed and tranquil events.
Tickets: available from R$30 to R$50, at the entrance gate
This is an outdoor space that resurrects the atmosphere of Praça Onze, a large square near the Sambodromo, Terreirão do Samba according to some historians, is the cradle of samba in Rio de Janeiro. Started by Tia Ciata (a remarkable figure in the history of the city, extremely linked to Afro-religious culture) and her followers, friends and religion partners.
Terreirão do Samba has been operating since before the official opening of the Rio de Janeiro carnival, with a huge and varied schedule of attractions every night. The relaxed atmosphere of the place also has a food court consisting of approximately 50 stalls, where you can make small meals and buy soft drinks and alcoholic drinks.
Location: Arcos da Lapa
It takes place around the Arcos da Lapa, cultural center of the city, where young people usually meet on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the year. Lapa, being perhaps the most eclectic neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, presents during Carnival a true experimental music festival, where new rhythms and styles are presented to the public. But do not worry, because the samba marks your presence every day. Best of all this is that event, as well as quite fun and relaxed, and free!
There is a popular eating area, with drinks and tents that serve sandwiches and small meals; all at very affordable prices. So if you come to Rio and want to have fun without spending a lot of money, Lapa becomes a must-have stop.
From Carnival Friday to Carnival Tuesday, 18:00-03:00 | Location: Praça Floriano, Cinelândia, Downtown
The parties have begun to warm up long before Carnival, but from Saturday to Carnival Tuesday, there are outdoor parties throughout the city. Joy and spontaneity set the tone for this great collective celebration. The biggest party - and the most organized one - takes place in the Plaza de Cinelândia. All bars and sidewalks become a meeting point for relaxation and fun is guaranteed until the last reveler. It is also worth visiting the outdoor area on the outskirts of the Sambodromo, on the days of the Parades, where the concentration of people becomes huge, all wanting to take photos or simply witness the preparation of samba schools for entry into the parade.
The party lasts five days to the sound of well-known orchestras and singers. These are nostalgic performances by artists who built the history of Carnival, reliving the atmosphere of the grandiose carnival dances of the past.
The audience of this event is mostly composed of older people and workers, many of them seeking to recall the golden times of the radio, with some idols of this period presenting themselves to their faithful audience. The environment is therefore very cozy and family friendly.
During the days of parades in the Sambódromo, its surroundings acquire an intense nightlife, with thousands of goers. Mixed in with this crowd, you can see some members of samba schools already dressed up, who are still going to parade and are spending time with friends, or have already paraded and celebrate the performance of their schools. The traffic of people is unbelievable, and some nearby alleys are overcrowded. Expect to find here all kinds of people, including those who could not drink so much, very lively groups of people for whom samba seems to have no end, and so on.
These are the rehearsals with the presence of the members of the School, and the drums' section more or less in the positions that will parade in the Sambódromo. However, they happen on the Samba Schools halls, which are sometimes distant and in areas of difficult access. You can go to the rehearsals of a school, but you can only participate in the parade of your own school.
There are huge rehearsals that take place in the Sambódromo. They are almost like a Parade, but without costumes and themed cars (sometimes they are replaced by buses) and the school does not always appear complete. The rehearsals usually start in December, always on weekends, almost all, until the day of the parade.
The last rehearsal in the Sambodromo takes place on the last Sunday that precedes the Rio Carnival.
You can go to the Grandstands, knowing that it is best to arrive early to ensure a good place, as the event occupies all the seats on this day. It's a good opportunity to warm up your tambourines for the big party that will happen during the Samba Schools Parade and see all that in preparation.
After the rehearsal, the most traditional band of Rio de Janeiro, the Cordão do Bola Preta (Black Beads Cord), parades on the catwalk of samba. Always with carnival marches and lots of samba. You will see a crowd following this band to the Aphoteosis. It is an unforgettable experience.
In its outer area, the Sambódromo counts on stalls that sell snacks and small meals, as well as drinks. All quite informal and simple, with very reasonable prices.
Every day during Carnival
