Carnival In Rio: The World's Sexiest Party
Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is not for the faint at heart, it's for die hard party people. Dating back to Roman times, the history of this party is about celebrating spring. The melting pot that is Brazil, however, means that traditions from all parts of the world contributed to what is now Rio's iconic Carnival celebration. They can thank the French for the streamers, the Italians for the masquerades, the Portuguese for the free spirit and the Africans for the mystic stories added to the mix. Alas Carnival is much more than just a party, it's the celebration of the merging of cultures and the love of life itself.
The point of Carnival is to dress up as whatever you want to be, your "fantasia." This is the root behind all of the extravagant costumes — and extravagant is indeed the word, whatever your fantasia may be, do it up: colors, feathers, sparkles, headdress, etc.
Carnival in Rio is a four day affair beginning on February 17 to February 21 (as a rule it begins on the Saturday before Fat Tuesday and ends on Fat Tuesday and this may mean February or March — whatever is 40 days before Easter). Friday is opening ceremony and the crowning of the King.
Saturday, February 18, 2012 is a big day:
9:30am: Street Band Cordão do Bola Preta (Downtown)
4pm: Banda de Ipanema (Praça General Osório, Ipanema)
8pm: Street Band Competition in Avenida. Rio Branco, Centro (Downtown)
9pm: Parade of the Samba Schools begins
11pm: The Magic Ball at Copacabana Palace Hotel
Sunday through Monday more parades will continue with Samba Schools in the "special groups." For more information on current ranking of the Samba Schools, click here (you may also familiarize yourself with the chosen samba theme songs by school here). Tuesday evening presents the G
ay Costume Ball which goes until 7 am — this is one not to miss as its costumes alone are worth seeing and are even broadcasted across the Brazilian nation.
In Rio it's all about the parade which showcases the work that the samba schools have been pouring into for months. Each samba school is represented as a group. They present a float, dancers, music and above all, entertainment. They theme out their performance on something different each year — it could be retelling a story from folklore or even a political story. Click here to search for tickets to the parades (seats are listed by sections in a similar fashion to buying tickets to the theater).
Aside from the balls and parades there are also street parties, samba rehearsals (great to watch if you want less of a crowd) and of course, the beach!
Tickets should be booked as far in advance as possible. Hotel districts to target: Ipanema, Copacabana and Leblon — or for something a bit more quaint, check into B&B's in the artisan district of Santa Teresa. Always avoid staying downtown in the business districts or in Lapa as while it may be the heart of much of the action, it is generally not a safe district. For safety information, check with the official Brazilian Tourism Portal.
Boa festa e voa viagem!
