Rio Carnival
Carnival — samba schools · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Mainstream
The festival
The Sambodrome explodes: feathers, glitter and samba batteries — Rio becomes the largest scene in the world. The world's largest carnival is the artistic summit of samba schools: three nights during, the 12 schools of the Grupo Especial march on Avenue Marquês de Sapucaí, four per night, in front of tens of thousands of spectators.
Order 2027, sealed by LIESA: União de Maricá, Beija-Flor, Paraíso do Tuituti and Vila Isabel on Sunday 7; Mocidade, Unidos da Tijuca, Salgueiro and Imperatriz Leopoldinense on Monday 8; Portela, Unidos do Viradouro, Grande Rio and La Mangueira on Tuesday 9; The defending school, the Unidos do Viradouro de Niterói, will defend its title with the endo "Griô", a tribute to the griots, storytellers and guardians of the oral tradition of West Africa — a bridge between Africa and Brazil.
Around the Sambodrome, Rio also lives at the pace of hundreds of free blockos in the streets as early as mid-January.
Good to know
Organizer: LIESA (Liga Independent das Escolas de Samba do Rio de Janeiro); official tourist promotion: Riotur (City of Rio). Free technical rehearsals at Sambodrome on 23, 24, 30 and 31 January 2027. The official album of the 12 sambas-enredo 2027 (LIESA/Edimusa) is released on 29 October 2026. Samba de la Viradouro: carria led by Mocotó and Paulo César Feital, voice of Wander Pires, carnavalesco Tarcísio Zanon.