Welcome to the world's biggest party ! Carnival is a Brazil wide event that happens every year at the beginning of Lent in the Christian Calendar. If you just visit Brazil for carnival you'll end up missing the rest of it - and the rest of Brazil is just as good !

There are literally thousands of events and parades across the nation in the fortnight around the two day carnaval bank holiday. The largest and most famous is the televised competitive parade of "Escolas Especiais" in the Sambôdromo in Rio de Janeiro. Salvador Bahia has an equally large carnaval but does so without the media attention. Upcoming carnivals are on the following dates:

2008: January 31 to February 5
2009: February 19 to 24
2010: February 1 to 6

Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

Sambôdromo

The Escolas Especiais parade for two nights running on the middle weekend of carnival fortnight. It starts around 22:00 and goes on until around 07:00 the next morning on both Friday and Saturday nights. If you don't have tickets for the private boxes make sure you take a cushion to sit on. Lots of people sell tickets to the parade so it's worth asking around to get the best price. The ticket comes in two parts. The first is a credit card sized magnetic stripe card which will take you through the first security perimeter. The second is a larger magnetic stripe card (with a string to wear it round your neck) which will take you into the sector of the Sambôdromo for which it is valid. Photos and text descriptions don't do a spectacle of this magnitude justice, so download the videos now !

The Samba Schools in Rio are organised in competitive leagues, the Escolas Especiais being the top. In 2005 the total prize pool was R$15 million ! Serious money in any currency. Please read Competition Info to learn how the contest works.

Samba Schools

Before carnival the Samba Schools are open for a weekly public practice. These events are exceptional in their own right as you'll get to see various Samba dancers and the Bateria (drummer band) close up ! As with most things Carnival it's an all night event. See Samba Schools for a list of were to find them.

Bandas and Blocos

The Bandas and Blocos are street parties that and held all over Rio during carnival. The most famous is the Banda da Ipanema which marks the official start of the carnival period. Mono-Bloc is also gaining a reputation for much carnaval madness !

Carnival in Salvador

Whilst the main event in Rio is the Sambôdromo parade the Carnival in Salvador is centered entirely in the street and is a participatory event. It's considered the most voracious carnival in Brazil.

Carnival Elsewhere

Porto Seguro, Olinda, Recife and Natal all have major carnivals that are worth checking out. If you get there before we do send us some pictures and we'll post them on the site.