RIO CARNIVAL BRAZIL 2020

RIO CARNIVAL BRAZIL 2020

The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese: Carnaval do Rio de Janeiro) is a festival held every year before Lent and considered the biggest carnival in the world with two million people per day on the streets. The first Carnival festival in Rio occurred in 1723.

Rio Carnival 2020

The Carnival is celebrated in Brazil every year, 46 days before the Easter festival. Carnival is derived from the word carnelevare, wich literally translates to "removal of meat". The roots of the festival are believed to be in the tradition of Roman Catholics when they abstained from meat and alcohol on certain days as a method to drive away bad things from their life.

rio carnival tickets

The Carnival in Brazil as we know it today is believed to have originated during the European dominated era. Back then, followers of the Roman Catholic Church would indulge in last day of dance, fun, alcohol and sex just before the start of Lent, which is a period of abstinence from alcohol and other sins. Back then, people would exchange clothes and indulge in wild dancing, and it also sometimes coincided with exchange of slaves.

rio carnival brazil 2020

Carnivals are celebrated in many countries but the one in Brazil is most famous. Different cities of Brazil have their own way of celebrating this week long festival of revelry and fun. However, the most famous carnival is that of Rio De Janeiro. Thousands of people throng the Sambodromo stadium in the city. Often wearing masks and colorful costumes, they dance to the beats of drums and music, Samba being the most prevalent form of dancing here.

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A major parade with beautifully dressed samba dancers atop a decorated moving vehicle goes through the stadium as hundreds of people keep joining the parade as the parade makes its way.

Another city which is famous for its Carnival in Brazil is Salvador de Bahia. The original capital in Brazil, carnival is celebrated a little differently here. Street carnival is celebrated in this city rather than having a stadium as a venue for the parade. Thousands of people throng the streets from early dawn and dance their way through the city till late evenings. Carnival in Salvador also lasts a little longer than in Rio.

Carnival in Brazil is a major holiday when people shut shops and come out on the streets to celebrate life. The festival is organized by various samba schools in the country which are also involved in various community services. Even people with two left feet can be seen enjoying this festival in its full splendor.

Carnival Calendar

Carnival Weekend

Carnival Observances

DAYDATEHOLIDAY NAME

TueFeb 12, 2013

Carnival/Shrove Tuesday

TueMar 04, 2014

Carnival/Shrove Tuesday

TueFeb 17, 2015

Carnival/Shrove Tuesday

TueFeb 09, 2016

Carnival/Shrove Tuesday

TueFeb 28, 2017

Carnival/Shrove Tuesday

TueFeb 13, 2018

Carnival/Shrove Tuesday

TueMar 05, 2019

Carnival/Shrove Tuesday

TueFeb 25, 2020

Carnival/Shrove Tuesday

 Rio carnival parade is filled with revelers, floats, and adornments from numerous samba schools which are located in Rio (more than 200 approximately, divided into five leagues/divisions). A samba school is composed of a collaboration of local neighbours that want to attend the carnival together, with some kind of regional, geographical and common background.

There is a special order that every school has to follow with their parade entries. Each school begins with the "comissão de frente" ("Front Commission" in English), that is the group of people from the school that appear first. Made of ten to fifteen people, the "comissão de frente" introduces the school and sets the mood and style of their presentation. These people have choreographed dances in fancy costumes that usually tell a short story. Following the "comissão de frente" is the first float of the samba school, called "abre-alas" ("Opening Wing" in English). These are followed by the Mestre-sala and Porta-Bandeira ("Master of Ceremonies and Flag Bearer" in English), with one to four pairs, one active and three reserve, to lead the dancers, which include the old guard veterans and the "ala das baianas", with the bateria at the rear and sometimes a brass section and guitars...

Brazil’s Carnival has become the world’s largest festival, known for its over-the-top costumes, extravagant floats and week-long street parties renowned for their debauchery. It’s an event that brings the whole country to a grinding halt and reels in hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, but how did these iconic festivities begin? We bring you the lowdown on the history of Brazil’s Carnival.

Carnival in Brazil

Carnival begins every year on the Friday before Shrove Tuesday and ends on Ash Wednesday. The cities most globally-known for their Carnival celebrations are Rio de Janeiro, Olinda, Recife and Salvador, yet almost every city in the country has shows, events and performances. The popular saying ‘the year doesn’t start in Brazil until after Carnival’ is not far from the truth as the long, national Carnival holiday seems to encourage putting off all work-related plans for after the festivities are truly over.

One of the main street parties in the world’s largest festival 

The origins of Carnival

Surprisingly, Brazil’s festivities are associated with Catholicism and carnaval—a word derived from the Latin carne vale, meaning ‘goodbye flesh’—was originally a food festival where Catholic worshipers feasted in preparation for the following 40 days of Lent that started on Ash Wednesday. The Portuguese settlers brought this festival with them from Europe when they colonized Brazil in the early 1600s, though back then, it was celebrated as formal balls in the grandeur of the Portuguese elite’s homes. However, it didn’t take long for the Afro-Brazilians to start their own Carnival with African-inspired dances, music and the introduction of the fancy dress element by dressing up in a way that mocked the white Brazilian elite.

world no 1 festival brazil carnival

The beginning of the Samba Schools

For several years, Carnival was a segregated celebration. It wasn’t until the 20th century that the parties began to take to the streets and it became a festival that everyone enjoyed together. In Rio de Janeiro, samba—which was formerly considered the music genre of the poor and slaves—came to represent Carnival and in the early 1920s, the first samba schools were formed. This led to the samba schools starting to compete in the early 1930s through performances in the now world-famous parades in a bid to be crowned the winner of Carnival. At the same time, the Carnival Queen became an iconic figure of the schools. The Queen is the most talented and beautiful samba dancer chosen to represent each school, a position that is highly sought-after thanks to its prestige, status and lucrative modelling and TV deals.

The Carnival dancers 

These days, the parades take place in Rio’s Sambadrome, a wide avenue flanked on either side by large spectator stands that houses the tens of thousands of people who come to watch the jaw-dropping performances of the samba schools, which they prepare and practise throughout the entire year. The intricate costumes and impressive floats are made months in advance at the Cidade do Samba or Samba City, a large creative workshop in Rio’s downtown that is shared by all the samba schools. Although the religious element has become somewhat lost, the schools base their parade performances on certain themes that usually represent Brazilian history or social and environmental issues in Brazil, such as the Amazon Rainforest’s struggle or the history of Brazil’s Afro-Brazilian population.

What began as a Catholic event has turned into the world’s largest outdoor party and one that continues to grow each year, as Brazilians and foreigners alike take to Brazil’s streets to let go for one week and enjoy this traditional aspect of Brazilian culture.

The Carnival began on Friday and ends on Ash Wednesday,[6] but the Winners' Parade happens on the Saturday after the carnival ends.[7][8] The winning school and runners' up of the Special Group, as well as the A Series champion, all march past one final time on this night.

March 1 to 6	2019
February 21 to 26	2020
February 12 to 17	2021
February 15 to 20	2022

Tickets

Sambadrome sectors diagram

In 1984, the government decided to give Rio Carnival its new home in the Sambadrome. Today, some of the most famous events of Rio Carnival are ticketed events. There are different types of Sambadrome tickets that are available for purchase. Grandstand tickets are general admissions tickets that are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are not allocated ahead of time. Frisas are open air box seats located along the samba runway. Camarotes are luxury boxes situated between the frisas and the grandstands. Sector 9 is the tourist sector which are the same as grandstand tickets, with the difference being that they are allocated so people have assigned seats.

Carnival ticket prices can vary depending on the ticket type, sector and season. The cheapest sectors are 12 and 13.[11] Tickets can be bought in advance through international brokers, or through local travel agents in Rio de Janeiro. 'Purchase of a ticket' normally means purchase of a voucher which is then exchangeable for the ticket close to the date. Ticket sales are organised by LIESA, who will often also make tickets available at late notice via a venue (often a bank) announced the day before. LIESA prices for grandstand tickets vary from Rs5 to Rs500 for the Tourist Sector (2014 prices)[12] (Rs500 = approx. US$250). LIESA publish the base price of the tickets, and agents and brokers charge more (sometimes significantly more) but offer considerable convenience and other benefits.

Queens of Carnival

The Queen of the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro and up to two princesses having the duty to woo the revelry, along with the King Momo. Unlike some cities, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Queens of Carnival do not see a certain school of samba. In competitions, princesses are usually placed as second and third, and are correspondingly 1st and 2nd Princess. Some of them after the reign become queens or battery bridesmaids.

Years	Queens of Carnival	1st Princess	2nd Princess	Ref
2004	Priscila Mendes		[21]
2005	Ana Paula Evangelista	Elaine Babo		[22]
2006	Ana Paula Evangelista	Cristiane Hani	[22][23][24]
2007	Jaqueline Faria	Jacqueline Nascimento	Mônika Nascimento	[25]
2008	Kétula Mello	Charlene Costa	Jaqueline Faria	[26]
2009	Jéssica Maia	Charlene Costa	Shayene Cesário	[27]
2010	Shayene Cesário	Talita Castilhos	Suellen Pinto	[28]
2011	Bianca Salgueiro	Talita Castilhos	Suzan Gonçalves	[29]
2012	Cris Alves	Letícia Guimarães	Suzan Gonçalves	[30]
2013	Evelyn Bastos	Letícia Guimarães	Clara Paixão	[31][32]
2014	Letícia Guimarães	Clara Paixão	Graciele Chaveirinho	[33][34][35]
2015	Clara Paixão	Bianca Monteiro	Uillana Adães	[36][37]
2016	Clara Paixão	Uillana Adães	Bianca Monteiro	[38][39]
2017	Uillana Adães	Joice Rocha	Deisiane Conceição	[40]
2018	Jéssica Maia	Deisiane Conceição	Cintia de Oliveira	[41]

These 12 Facts Explain Why Rio's Carnival Is the World's Biggest Party

The Beija-Flor samba school parades during the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro on Feb. 17, 2015.

The Beija-Flor samba school parades during the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro on Feb. 17, 2015. Ricardo Moraes—Reuters

Rio de Janeiro’s carnival, which will be celebrated this weekend, is the biggest in the world. Here are 12 facts that you never knew about it:

Its origins can be traced back to the 18th century. Introduced by Portuguese immigrants to Brazil and called the Entrudo, it was celebrated by lively crowds who threw lime-scented water at each another. It was mainly enjoyed by working people, whose costumes would mock the clothes and mannerisms of the rich.

Carnival begins on the Friday when the mayor of Rio hands over the keys to the city to King Momo, a mythical figure who is said to lead the festivities. The tradition goes back to 1933. The current incumbent, who received the keys on Friday, is like his predecessors, a jolly, fat man with a crown.

There are no less than 587 street parties – or “blocos” – held in the city from mid-January to mid-February, which typically involve bands, costumes and revelers going wild. The largest, called the Cordão Da Bola Preta (Big Cord of the Black Ball) takes place in the city center on Saturday and draws about one million people.

Rio Carnival - quite possibly the biggest party on the planet - is one of the most popular reasons to go to Brazil. Vast stands line its famous Sambadrome, where more than 70,000 partygoers - Brazilians and international tourists alike ­- come to watch the spectacle in February, and the costumes get bigger, brighter and more imaginative every year. But why just watch when you can take part?

Usually, the parade is made up of the city's samba schools. But now tourists, too, can dress up in the elaborate outfits - which range from giant peacocks and pineapples to Venetian pianos and Egyptian pharoahs - and join the energetic dancers and musicians that move to the rhythm of samba.

Bespoke Brazil can arrange trips to the country that include the once-in-a-lifetime experience of taking part in the parade. With guidance, fledgling dancers will learn how to move, sing and smile like the professionals, all while trying to keep in line (points are awarded to the samba schools for keeping good form). Guests stay in boutique Hotel Santa Teresa, a former coffee plantation house in the city's cultural centre. The tailor-made trip could also include tours of Rio de Janeiro, and of Sugar Loaf Mountain and Corcovado Mountain from which the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue looks out over the city.

brazil carnival video

Simon Williams, founder of Bespoke Brazil, says: 'Visiting Rio Carnival is one thing, but taking part in the Sambadrome parade is an experience second to none. An hour of non-stop dancing in front of thousands of fans to a relentless samba beat. I have travelled extensively around the world and this is without question the best thing I have ever done!'