Rio’s street Carnival is made up of hundreds of blocos — street parties that parade through the city with costumes, marchinhas and sambas. Some draw a few hundred people; others, huge crowds. No ticket needed: just follow the bloco.
The oldest still going is Cordão da Bola Preta, founded on December 31, 1918. The story goes that the name (“black polka dot”) came from a young woman in a white dress with black dots whom one of the founders saw at a party. Today it takes over Avenida Rio Branco, Downtown, and has drawn more than 2 million people in a single parade.
Every neighborhood has its own: Santa Teresa has the Bloco das Carmelitas, inspired by the story of a nun who supposedly jumped the convent wall to join the fun; in the South Zone, traditional blocos liven up Ipanema, Copacabana and Botafogo; and Downtown hosts the biggest parades.
The best part of street Carnival is the mix: people of all ages and backgrounds, creative costumes, old marchinhas everyone sings, and a collective party that takes over the city for several days. Many blocos also hold rehearsals and parades in the weeks before Carnival.
The official schedule, with the day, time and route of each bloco, is published by the city shortly before the festival. Parades usually start in the morning or afternoon, and the most popular ones fill up fast.
Tips: wear light clothes, sunscreen and comfortable sneakers; drink plenty of water; carry only what you need, ideally in a pouch worn in front. During Carnival the metro is the best way to get around — traffic slows to a crawl.
Official websites: Cordão da Bola Preta ↗Carnaval.Rio (Riotur) ↗