What is Carnival | Rio Carnival | RioCarnaval.org

It's the main festivity in Brazil which earned the distinction of being “The Greatest Show on Earth.” The Rio Carnival starts on Friday until Tuesday or ... WhatisCarnivalWithoutYou? CometoRioandFindOutforYourself. WhatisCarnival? It’sthemainfestivityinBrazilwhichearnedthedistinctionofbeing“TheGreatestShowonEarth.”TheRioCarnivalstartsonFridayuntilTuesdayorjustadayshyofAshWednesday,asignificantCatholictraditionwhichsignalthestartofLent.IfyoureallywanttounderstandthequestionwhatisCarnival,headofftotheSambodromoparticularlyonCarnivalSundayandMondaytoexperiencefirst-handwhythisannualtraditionisvisitedbymillionsofpeoplefromallthepartoftheworld. WhatisCarnivalWithouttheSamba? PriortotheconstructionoftheSambodromo,thetopsambaschoolsgoaroundthestreetsofRiotoperformthesamba.ButthisallchangedwhenRioofficialsandorganizersrealizedthatachangeisinorder. Theobjectiveistwo-fold:firstistheneedtobuildafacilityforthecomfortofthetourists,secondisthepotentialrevenuethroughtickets.In1984,theSambodromowascompletedandalmostimmediately,theparaderegisteredanincreaseinparticipantsandspectators. Thestadiumcansitmorethan80,000visitorsaswellasaccommodate5,000participantsthroughthewideMarquêsdeSapucaíAvenue.Now,whatisCarnivalwithoutthesambaparade?Youcanfeeltheresonanceofthedrums,cymbalsandtrumpetsechothroughtheSambodromoandbrimovertothestreets.Riotur TheCarnivaliscelebratedfivedaysprecedingAshWednesday,whichisthestartofLentintheCatholiccalendar.AttheheartoftheCarnivalisthesamba,whichistheperfectillustrationoftheAfro-EuropeanblendthatdefinesBrazilculture. ThetopsambaschoolsgetthehonorofperforminginfrontofmillionsattheSambodromo.It’sobviousbywatchingtheperformancesattheSambodromotheamountofpreparationthatgoesintoeachdancestep,thechoiceofsongandtheselectionofdancerstorepresenteachschool. There’sapanelofaround40judgeswhositatkeypointsthroughoutthestadiumwatchingeverynuanceofmovement,appraisingthethreadandsequinofeachcostume,thesignificanceofthesong,theintegritytothesamba.Theenergyispalpablethroughoutthestadiumthatspectatorsareknowntodancealongwiththeparticipants.ThejudgeswillannouncethechampiononAshWednesday. BuyHEREyourRioCarnivalTickets  WhatisCarnivalWithouttheCostumes? Theexoticnatureandsensualityofthesambaisonlyenhancedbytheflashycostumesoftheparticipants.Butthesecostumesarenotchosenbecauseofaestheticsbutrathertheyformpartofthestory. Whilethespectatorsonlyseethedifferentpigmentsanddesignsofthecostumes,thesignificanceofeachgarbisnotlostonthejudges.That’swhythesambaschoolsgiveparticularattentiontothetypeofcostumetheywilldisplay.Thepreparationanddecision-makingprocesstakemonths.TracingtheCarnival’soriginstotheEuropeanmasquerades,thevisitorsarealsoencouragedtobringtheirowncostumestofeelthespiritofCarnival. WhatisCarnivalWithoutthesambaschools? TheCarnivalwouldn’thaveexperiencedthetypeofsuccessitenjoystodaywithoutthestiffcompetitionamongthesambaschools. Theseschoolsjuststartedfromstreetbandswhichdevelopedintogroupsandclubsthenassociationsbeforetheybecamethesambaschoolsoftoday.Eachschoolhasacloserelationshipwiththehostcommunitymainlybecausethesambaschoolshelpsupportthepoorsectorsinitssurroundingareas. Thecommunityprovidesthelabortobuildthefloats,sewthecostumes,logisticalsupportandevenassecurityenforcerstoensurethesafetyofthedancers. Whilethecompetitionamongschoolsremainsstiff,theyneverthelessneverforgetwhattheCarnivalisabout. WhatisCarnivalWithouttheEconomicBenefits? TheCarnivalisstillacommercialendeavor.It’samulti-milliondollarindustrywhenyouconsideratleastamillionforeignvisitorsflockingtowitnesstheeventandtherippleeffecttotheeconomy,suchasthenumberofindirectjobscreatedforexample.TheticketsattheSambodromoalwaysselllikehotcakesweeksandevenmonthspriortotheCarnival.RamonMoreira|BookersInternational Imaginethecutthroatbiddingsincethestadiumcanonlyseat80,000people.Youcanbookmarktheticketseller’swebsiteandvisiteverynowandthentomakesureyoucanpurchasethetickets.Askyouragentwhat’sthebestseatinthehouseanddetermineifthepricewithinyourbudgetrange. Theticketcostvariesfromwhereyouareseated.BeyondthewallsoftheSambodromo,thereareanumberofpartiesorballsheldathotelsandrestaurantsliketheCopacobanaBeachHotelorthegayorcostumeballsatScala.Ifyouareunderbudget,however,youcanjointhestreetbandsbybringingyourcostumealongwithyou.Somesambaschoolsalsoopentheirdoorstotouristsaslongasyoubuyashirtsignifyingwhatschoolyourepresent. WhatisCarnivalWithoutthedazzlingballs? ItisonlyduringtheCarnivalwhereeveryinchofBrazil,andRioinparticular,screamsparty. ThepartyingstartsadaybeforetheformallaunchoftheCarnivaluntiladayafterthefestivityformallyends.Ifyoucanmanagetosecureaticketfortheglamorousparties,suchastheMagicBallinCopacabanaPalaceHotel,don’tbesurprisedthatyouwillberubbingelbowswiththecelebritiesandthewealthy.Rezendeluan|iStock.com WhatisCarnivalWithouttheBestStreetParties? TheBestStreetPartiesareorganizedbystreetgroupscalled‘blocos.’It’svirtuallyimpossibletoturnacornerwithoutbumpingintoanotherBestStreetParties.Hereyouwillfindalargecrowdmillinganddancingtothetuneofsamba. ABestStreetPartiesbeginsasasmallgroupofpeoplecongregateonapredeterminedlocation.Thecrowdthenmarchesthroughthestreetsandgathermoreandmorepeoplealongtheway. Themostsought-afterBestStreetPartiesarethoseorganizedbySimpatiaéQuase,whichiswholesomeenoughthatyouwon’tbeafraidtotakealongyourkids.Forthemorerisquécrowd,there’stheBlocosandBandasdeIpanemaneighborhoodwhichstillremainsthepreferredbandsforgays.Thebeautyofthesebandsisthattheycomposetheirownsongsandchoreographtheirownmovements;thatmeansnotwopartiesarethesame. Dabldy|Stock.com ThesepartiesstartthreemonthsbeforetheofficialkickoffofthefestivalinMarch.Asidefromthemoreformalballshostedbyhotelsandtopestablishments,therearealsoBestStreetPartieswhichfeaturethewho’swhoinRiopolitics,entertainmentandbusinessindustries. Forexample,there’sthe"EsticadoFlamengoneighborhood"whichyoucanfindinoneofRio’smostwell-knowncommunitiesthatbearthesamename.TheBarbaspartyispopularbecausetherevelersaresoakedinwaterbyfiretruckswhenthetemperatureprovestoohumid. The“hose-down”sometimescontinueonthroughthenight.TheupscaledistrictofLeblonneighborhoodalsofeaturespartiesthatincorporateitsfamousbeachesintothetheme.TheDowntownneighborhood,meanwhile,attractstheyoungercrowd. WhatisCarnivalWithoutExperiencingtheOtherSideofRio? ItwouldbeashametogotoRiowiththeplandrinkingthewholetimeyouarethere.ForthecityhasmoretoofferthantheCarnival. AtriptoRiowouldn’tbecompletewithoutdiponitsfamousbeaches,ahiketoSugarloafmountainortheChristtheRedeemerstatue,whichisnowconsideredamongtheworld’smodernmarvels.Scheduleatourwithyouragentsoyoucansoakinthesightsandsoundsofthelocalpeopleandculture. TheCarnivalisNotOnlyforAdults PerhapsoneofthemostcommonmisconceptionsabouttheCarnivalisthatit’stooracyforchildren.True,thetelevisionisabrutalmediumbecauseitfailstoprovideacontext.Lately,organizershaveclampeddownontoomuchnudityalthoughsomedancerspushthisruletothelimitbyexposingskin.FernandoGrilli|Riotur Althoughsomemenmaybalkatthatnotionthinkingthat“whatisCarnivalwithoutthenudity?”Sufficetosay,it’ssafetobringyouownkidstoseetheCarnival.TheSambodromoevenhoststheChildren’sParadewherekidsandteensshowcasetheirtalentsinthesamba.It’salwaysgoodforyourkidstoexpandtheirhorizonsbyexperiencingothercultures. WhatisCarnivalWithoutDippingontheBeaches? WhileCopacobanaandIpanemaneighborhoodhavebecomebywordsforbeautifulbeachesaftertheyweremadefamousthroughpopsongs,therearestillseveraluntouchedbeachesinRiothatcancompetewiththeworld’sbest.Thereissomethingforeveryonewhenyouvisitthesebeaches.Theverdantmountainsandthesceniclandscapemakeupforadeliciouseye-candy. Nottomentionthenumberofstunningwomeninbikinis,particularlyinIpanemaneighborhood.Takeheed,however,justbecausetheyarewearingtheskimpiestbikinidoesn’tmeanit’sokayforyoutogawk.Justlikeinmostcultures,it’sconsideredrudetostare.YoucanrelaxinthesebeacheswithyourtropicaldrinksuchasBrazil’snationalcocktail,thecaipirinha.Ifyouareintosports,youcanjointhelocalsinplayingsoccer,Frisbee,orvolleyball. Youcanalsolearntosurforjustloungearoundwithyourkids,buildingsandcastlesorjustletyourimaginationsrunfree.Withoutmeaningtodoit,youwillsimplyadoptthecariocaqualityoflivinginthemoment.TheotherbeachesfrequentedbylocalsareLeme,BeachofBarradaTijuca,PrainhaandtheupscaleLeblonneighborhood.Surfers,meanwhile,prefertheArpoadorbecauseofitsstrongwaves. WhatisCarnivalifYouAreNotThere? TheCarnivalisoneofthemorepopulartouristdestinationsintheworld.It’samulti-milliondollarindustrythatinvolveseachsectorfromallwalksoflife.It’sbesttomakeyourreservationsearlytogetthebestdealsfromhotels,airlinesandtickets.TheCarnivalisoneoftheworld’sbiggestattractions,butitwillremainconceptualifyouarenottheretoexperienceit.Afterall,whatisCarnivalbutaweek-longparty? BuyHEREyourRioCarnivalTickets RelatedPages CarnivalHistory:ATripBacktoTime ExploreCarnivalHisotryandtheMagicBehindtheTradition. ChoosingtheBestCarnivalLocation BrazilistheWorld'sMostExcitingCarnivalLocation.ComeandExperienceit! ComeCelebratetheRioCarnival CometothegrandestpartyonEarth-It'shappeningattheRioCarnival. +SeeMore:CarnivalinRio:WherethePartyNeverEnds +SeeMore:CarnivalAgenda:HavingFun