Sambódromo
The Sambódromo is home the world’s most famous party-
Carnaval! This mile-long stretch of concrete seating holds thousands
of fans during the Carnaval celebration. If you decide to purchase
tickets for Carnaval, the best nights are Sunday and Monday, though
Friday and Saturday have the Division II samba schools parade as
well.
The tradition of Carnaval goes back many years, and it occurs in
countries other than Brazil. Each samba school, usually with its
main headquarters found at the base of a favela, spends a whole
year preparing a theme, costumes, an “enredo,” or song,
and then put all their energy into an amazing performance for only
one night! Actually, there is another parade the Saturday after
Carnaval with just as much energy, but the labor and time taken
to prepare for Carnaval is quite noteworthy.
Some of the main samba schools are Manguiera (the only school not
featuring nude women), Beija-Flor, and Salgueiro. These schools
host parties in the months preceding Carnaval and sometime perform
on the beach stages where free concerts are held in the summer.
Some Cariocas prefer to leave Rio during Carnaval time for a lower
key but equally as fun weekend.
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