The Ultimate Guide to Carnival in Brazil
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I have had the privilege of attending Carnival in Brazil. It was a once in a lifetime experience which I count as one of my core memories. It is unique, it is awesome, and it is absolutely one of the highlights of visiting Brazil!
In this post, I offer my guide to celebrating Carnival in Brazil!
Disclosure: Booking your tour via the links in this guide will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. Earnings will go back to the maintenance of the travel guides provided on The Thrill of Pursuit. Thanks for your support!
<3 Dominique
What is Carnival?
Carnival is the festive season right before the Christian Lent season. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter which was a time of fasting and reflection for Christians. Traditionally, people celebrated Carnival as the last chance to overindulge in food and drink before the start of Lent. It is celebrated worldwide but the Carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro have become legendary.
Rio Carnival is the biggest carnival in the world. Wild street parties, elaborate parades with thousands of performers, costumed balls, and samba music are all associated with the Carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro. About 2 million party goers are expected per day on the streets of Rio during the week.
Who celebrates Carnival?
Carnival (or Carnaval in Portuguese) is the most popular holiday in Brazil. I met many locals who demonstrated their passion for this annual tradition. They told me that many Brazilians save up for Carnival all year long and then do it all over again for the next Carnival. And this passion has attracted the rest of the world! Every year, Brazil welcomes millions of foreign visitors to join in celebrating Carnival.
When is Carnival in Brazil?
Carnival is an annual tradition held right before the Christian Lent season. The official start of Lent is on Ash Wednesday which is always 46 days before Easter. Easter is determined as the Sunday following the first full moon after March 21 (aka the March equinox).
The official start of Carnival is on the Friday before Ash Wednesday. However, Brazilians LOVE a good party. They love it so much that you will find all of Rio de Janeiro in a festive mood/at its best between New Year’s Day until Ash Wednesday (aka the official end of Carnival).
Travel tip: prices on tours and accommodations in Brazil double during Carnival. The sooner you book tours and accommodations, the better!
How is Brazilian Carnival celebrated?
I absolutely love Rio de Janeiro and had the amazing opportunity to be there while the city celebrated Carnival. Besides being blessed with natural wonders, the Cariocas (as Rio de Janeiro residents call themselves) are generally friendly and fun-loving. I found the city was at its absolute best in the weeks leading up to Carnival. The annual festival draws millions of visitors to Brazil’s coastal cities and in response, the country completely unifies for the week. Carnival brings much revenue to the Brazilian economy. The festivities are intense and non-stop for the week.
Carnival is a feast for all five senses. You absolutely need to experience it for yourself to understand the passion for this Brazilian tradition. In this section, I will try my best to describe what to expect when joining Brazil’s Carnival celebrations for first-timers. Admittedly though, my experience is limited to the celebrations in Rio and my notes will lean more on that.
Carnival in Brazil: Blocos
Blocos are themed street parties. They are a mainstay of Carnival specifically in Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Olinda and Minas Gerais. In fact, Carnival started off as street parties in the late 18th century. When the Carnival samba school parades became too big for the streets of Rio, the Sambadrome was built specifically to host the annual parades in 1984. This way, the Carnival parades were contained in one venue that has a capacity for 90,000 people. However, by moving the parades to the Sambadrome, many locals were priced out of Carnival celebrations. In response, blocos re-emerged and are THE most authentic celebration of Brazilian Carnival.
In a bloco, you can expect street bands that mobilize crowds through the streets of Brazil. Blocos in Rio typically run between January to the Sunday after the official end of Carnival. There are several hundred blocos in Rio and multiple blocos could occur at the same time. Expect detours and road closures during Carnival, especially in Rio.
To find what blocos are happening by city, date and time, check out the Blocos de Rua website. Hotel lobbies typically post notices about nearby blocos. For a detailed look, I cover how to find blocos in Rio in 10 Essential Travel Tips for Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
Blocos are free and are open to anyone who wants to participate. They are extremely popular with the locals. Blocos typically have a theme and attendees dress up accordingly. But honestly, you can show up in any costume of your choosing and you will still blend in with the crowd.
Carnival in Brazil: Samba school parades
Samba school parades can be found throughout Brazil during Carnival but the one known as the “Greatest Show on Earth” can only be found in Rio de Janeiro. Rio’s Sambadrome was built as the centerpiece of Carnival. It was built specifically for the samba school parades that is often associated with Carnival. Here, Rio’s top samba schools parade competitively with each other during Carnival.
The official Carnival parades are held in the Sambadrome for four consecutive nights. The ‘A Series’ samba schools compete on the Friday and Saturday before Ash Wednesday and the elite ‘Special Group’ schools compete on Sunday and Monday (though a third night was added for the ‘Special Group’ in 2025). Think of the ‘Special Group’ as the premier league of samba schools. The parades start around 9 in the evening and last until sunrise.
Each samba school has a pre-set amount of time (between 65-75 minutes) to put on a spectacle that stretches the full length of the Sambadrome. Picture thousands of performers in elaborate costumes, intricate parade floats, and samba drum sections all under the scrutiny of a panel of judges.
Competition, especially at the ‘Special Group’ level, is intense! The crowds are equally intense with the locals cheering on their samba school not unlike crowds in futbol championships. At stake during the samba school competitions are funding as well as the school’s standing in the ‘Special Group’ (relegation is a possibility).The winner of the samba school parades are announced on Ash Wednesday.
The ticket prices for seat at the Sambadrome on ‘Special Group’ nights can range between $10 USD – $500 USD if bought early and independently.
Join a tour to experience the Sambadrome!
If you want to have a stress-free Carnival experience at the Sambadrome, I recommend joining a group tour to take the hassle out of navigating the streets of Rio and the Sambadrome during its busiest nights of the year. Below are listings from trusted tour providers in Rio:
- For Budget travellers should check out this tour that includes transfer to and from your accommodation with tickets to Sector 4 of the Sambadrome.
- For those in a mid-range budget, check out this tour that includes transfer to and from your accommodation with reserved seats in Sector 7 of the Sambadrome.
- For those looking for the VIP experience at the Sambadrome, check out this tour that includes transfer to and from your accommodation with a private box, open bar, and buffet access.
Carnival in Brazil: Balls
There are also masquerade balls that take place during Carnival in Brazil. In fact, southern cities prefer balls over massive blocos and street parades. In Rio, Baile do Copa (or Copa Ball) is held annually on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday at the legendary Copacabana Palace. This event is a lot more exclusive than the blocos and the Sambadrome. This is one of Rio’s most high profile events and tickets start in the thousands. Formal attire is mandatory.
Why is Carnival in Brazil so important?
Brazil was a Portuguese colony. In the late 19th century, the Portuguese brought masquerade balls over to Brazil to celebrate the Catholic season of Carnival. The Portuguese also brought slaves of African descent to Brazil.
The slaves added their own twist to the Carnival celebrations. They paid homage to their gods through costumes and used bones, grass, feathers or wood to fight against evil spirits. These earthy elements can still be traced to modern Carnival. Another element introduced by the Africans was samba. In West Africa, samba was performed to celebrate and for comfort during tough times. This tradition was carried over to Brazil. Gradually, the celebrations of the enslaved people became disconnected from the Catholic ceremonies.
When slavery was abolished in the late 19th century, many former slaves moved to Rio de Janeiro where they formed communities in the Favelas. The Favelas became epicenters of samba music. Samba brought people together in community and celebration. The Brazilian elite found that threatening so they heavily criminalized samba. Samba gatherings and musicians faced police persecution.
In the 1930s, samba schools formed. They organized parades and blocos during Carnival to legitimize samba and avert police oppression. It was during this time that Carnival became the most popular festival in Brazil. This is how samba and Carnival became icons of Brazilian culture.
This is the origin story of the samba schools and the Sambadromes. True to their roots as a political statement against the government at the time, Carnival samba school presentations need to have a theme that is political, cultural and/or historical in nature. Carnival is more than just a hedonistic festival. It is culturally and politically important to the Brazilians.
Read more: What is Brazilian Carnival? – coming soon
Where is Carnival celebrated?
Carnival is celebrated in many places around the world but the most famous celebrations are held in Brazil. Each Brazilian state adds its own flavour to their Carnival celebrations. Besides Rio de Janeiro, the celebrations in the following Brazilian cities are popular in their own way:
- Salvador
- Recife
- São Paulo
- Ouro Preto
Are you currently planning your adventure to Brazil for Carnival? I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Do you have any tips for fellow travellers headed to Carnival? Please share them in the comments below!