Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—sensuous, chaotic, sophisticated, open and friendly—is one of South America’s gems. Brazil’s biggest festival is the Rio Carnival. It is actually said this is the largest festival in the world, with over 2 million people attending. This year it occurs from February 28 until March 4. The first Rio Carnival dates back to 1823. It is by far the most anticipated event for Brazilians and visitors to the area.
How Rio Carnival Started
There are quite a few theories as to how this yearly carnival was started. The most popular theory is that it was started as a way to make use of certain foods before lent. The 6 week period leading up to Easter is generally a time to where no festivals or any type of parties are allowed to be held and individuals cannot eat any lavish food as they prepare for this holy holiday. Rio Carnival is considered to be the last time to have fun and have a big party before Easter preparations begin.
What To Expect
Brazil’s Carnival can only be described as an event with a lot of excitement.
During this event Brazilian show of the lavish costumes they’ve made. During the Samba Parades only the best Samba schools in the area are able to participate. They take part in lavish dance moves that aren’t usually seen anywhere else in the world. Students at these Samba schools practice for months on end to try to win the lavish title of having the best performance at Rio Carnival. One of the other events that individuals look forward to during the carnival is the Carnival Balls. Residents and even some visitors will dress up in a fabulous party costume and dance their hearts out. In addition to these events street parties and other events take place throughout the day and evening.
Cost
Those attending the Samba Parades will need to buy a ticket to gain access to the Sambodromo tickets can cost anywhere from just under $100 to well over $1000. These parades will be taking place on February 28, March 1, March 2, March 3 and March 8. The Carnival Balls will be taking place on February 28, March 1, March 2, March 3 and March 4. Tickets to attend one of these balls will range from around $80 to $600. Street parties and the numerous other daily events are generally free to get into.
One of the biggest carnivals in the world is about to take place in Brazil once again. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend this event. Will you be one of them? There’s still time to head on over to Rio for the biggest party that you’ve ever seen.
Keep in mind that the 2016 Summer Olympics will be held in Rio, making it the first South American city to host the Olympic Games, and tourism to Brazil is expected to increase significantly. Rio will also be an important host city to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The finals are expected to be played in an upgraded Maracana stadium. If you do plan to visit during the Carnival, try to fit in a visit to Copacabana and Ipanema beachs, watch the sunset from Arpoador rock and the view from atop Pao de Acucar (Sugar Loaf) or Corcovdo Mountain.
