The festival takes place every year before Lent with an estimated two million people taking to the streets every day from Friday, March 1 until Saturday, March 9. Rio Carnival dates back to 1723 and every year the parade is filled with revellers, floats and adornments from numerous samba schools. There is a special order that every school has to follow with their parade entries.
Preparations for the festival takes place all year round, and the carnival is watched on television all over the world.
Anticipation builds in the weeks leading up to the festival as the Carnival gets closer and closer.
The carnival begins on Friday and ends on Ash Wednesday, but the Champions’ parade happens on the Saturday after the carnival ends.
How to buy tickets
Tickets are still available to attend Rio Carnival next month.
The festival takes place from Friday March 1 until Saturday March 9 where a number of street parties take place.
The major attraction is the Samba Parades at the Sambadrome.
The preliminary parades take place Friday, March 1 and Saturday, March 2.
Main parades are on Sunday, March 3 and Monday, March 4 and the champions’ parade is on the last day of the festival on Saturday, March 9.
Seating in the Sambodromo is divided into four classes depending on the services it offers and your budget.
The Grandstand tickets are the most affordable, the allocated seating area has numbered seats, while the front boxes offer seating for six with a coffee table.
The most expensive tickets are the luxury suites and are ideal for groups of 12 or more.
The tickets for this section include a dinner buffet, drinks, personal waiter and security.
Ticket prices vary dependent on what day you book, with tickets costing the most on Sunday, March 3 and Monday, March 4 – the days of the main parades.
Ticket prices
Grandstand tickets – $50 – $486
Allocated chairs – $154 – $184
Front boxes – $258 – $1,498
Luxury suites – $740 – $4,100