Experience Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro

updated 2:20 p.m. ET Nov. 13, 2006

Ah, Carnaval. The name evokes explosive images of colorful costumes, lavish floats, swarming masses, and last-minute debauchery before the sober Lenten season begins. Though it may look like sheer entertainment, Carnaval means hard work and dedication for many Cariocas; to some, it's a full-time job.

What's it All About?
The religious aspect of the celebration faded some time ago, but Carnaval's date is still determined by the ecclesiastical calendar, officially occupying only the 4 days immediately preceding Ash Wednesday. With typical ingenuity and panache, however, Cariocas have managed to stretch the party into an event lasting several months, culminating in the all-night feast of color and sound that is the Samba School Parade, where tens of thousands of costumed dancers, thousands of percussionists, and hundreds of gorgeous performers atop dozens of floats all move in choreographed harmony to the nonstop rhythm of samba.

If you're not able to attend Carnaval itself, rehearsals -- which usually start in mid-September or early October -- are an absolute must, and the closest you'll get to the real thing. Even if you are in town for Carnaval, attending a rehearsal will give you a great appreciation of the logistics involved in putting together the parade, plus you'll learn all the words and dance moves.

In the 2 weeks leading up to the big event, you'll begin to see the blocos. These are community groups -- usually associated with a particular neighborhood or sometimes with a bar -- who go around the neighborhood, playing music and singing and dancing through the streets. Their instruments and costumes easily identify the official bloco members, but everyone is welcome and encouraged to follow along and add to the merriment. A number of blocos are so well known that they draw throngs of followers in the tens of thousands. The Banda de Carmen Miranda in Ipanema with its extravagant drag queens is a hoot.

Carnaval finally kicks off on the Friday before Ash Wednesday with an explosion of lavish balls (bailes). Originally the bailes were reserved for the elite, while the masses partied it up with vulgar splendor in the streets. Today, they're still a pricey affair and the Copacabana Palace Ball remains the society event in Rio. The blocos also kick into high gear once Carnaval arrives with several groups parading every day from Saturday through Tuesday.

Watching the Samba Parade
Then, there is the pièce de résistance: the Samba School Parade, the event that the samba schools work, plan, and sweat over for an entire year. Starting Sunday and continuing through Monday night, the 14 top-ranked samba schools (really community groups whose sole focus is the parade) compete for the honor of putting on the best show. The competition takes place in the Sambodromo, a 1.5km (1-mile) long concrete parade ground built in the center of Rio for this once-a-year event. Each night over 60,000 spectators watch the contest live, while millions more tune in on TV to catch this feast for the senses.

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Even before the parade starts, the streets surrounding the Sambodromo are closed to car traffic, while the grounds around this stadium are transformed into Carnaval Central. A main stage hosts a variety of acts and performances, and hundreds of vendors set up shop with food and drinks. This terreirão do samba (samba land), as Riotur calls it, is open the weekend prior to Carnaval, from Friday through Tuesday during Carnaval, and then again for the Saturday afterward for the Parade of Champions. Contact Riotur (tel. 021/2217-7575) for more detailed program information.

How & Where to Get Tickets
For information on tickets contact the Liga das Escolas de Samba (tel. 021/2253-7676; www.liesa.com.br). You can also purchase tickets through a designated travel agency such as Blumar (tel. 021/2511-3636) or BIT (tel. 021/2256-5657). Tickets for the best bleachers sections cost R$250 (US$104); chairs start at R$580 (US$242) in sections 9 and 11. As a last resort, try your hotel, but expect to pay a premium for this service. If you have tickets you can head directly to the Sambodromo. In case you still need tickets you can try the scalpers -- but be careful. Each ticket consists of a magnetic plastic card and an attached paper slip -- you need both to enter. The parade grounds are divided into sections: even-numbered sections can be accessed from the Central Station side (Metrô: Central); odd-numbered sections can be accessed from the Praça XI side (Metrô: Praça XI). Don't worry, there are lots of police and staff around to point you in the right direction. Unless you snag some fancy front-row seats or box seats, you will be sitting on concrete bleachers. There are pillows for sale, or you can bring your own.

The best sections are 5, 7, 9, and 11. These place you more or less in the middle of the parade avenue, allowing you to see up and down as the schools come through. Sections 9 and 11 are exclusively reserved for tourists, and tickets are sold through agencies. The advantage is that your spot on the concrete bleacher bears a number so you don't have to fight to squeeze in. Avoid sitting at the start or the end of the Avenida (sections 1, 3, 4, 6, and 13).

The parade starts at 9 p.m., but unless you want to stake out a particular spot you may as well take your time arriving, because the event will continue nonstop until about 6 a.m. We recommend leaving a bit early as well to avoid the big crunch at the end when the entire crowd tries to squeeze through a narrow set of revolving gates. Food and drinks are available inside the Sambodromo. Though prices aren't outrageous, it's a serious pain elbowing your way back and forth from your seat: Grab something at one of the many inexpensive kiosks outside the Sambodromo before you head in.

A Parade-Day Preview
On the day of each parade, the schools arrive outside the parade grounds to assemble their floats, props, and other gear. The streets around the Sambodromo, including Avenida Presidente Vargas, are closed for traffic, and pedestrians can stroll watching the schools put finishing touches on a year's worth of work. A great opportunity to take a close-up look at the floats, take pictures, and meet some of the people who put it all together.

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