Dates / Calendar : Feb 13  to Feb 16 

The Winner of  Samba School 2009 contest will parede again on Feb 20 

Carnival Overview

Carnival is a holiday and festival season that takes place immediately before Lent. 

Officially, Rio´s Carnival last five days - from the Friday to Tuesday immediately preceding the Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent. (In February or March)
There are 3 types of Carnaval:

   Carnival Parede

   Street Carnival

   Carnaval Balls

Carnaval Paredes / Samba Paredes
The top-level samba schools prepare during the year for the annual  parede which is a competition as well.
This astonishing moment takes place at Sambódromo (Sambadrome), a tiered street disigned by the wourld famous brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and  completed in 1984. In bygone days, the parede was in the same street. However, every year stands and stalls for the public along with everything necessary for the paredes would be assembled before the event and then dismantled after the event.
Each samba schools has its theme song (samba enredo). Thousands of voices join the lone voice of the samba school lead singer (puxador) which uses a microfone to sing. The drummers kick in, about 200 to 400 per school. The drums drive the parede and samba enredo (theme song) is probably the loudest music you are ever to hear.
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 Carnival Parede - Pictures of Samba Schools and Sambadrome / Sambodromo in the night 

Street Carnaval / Street Bands and Blocos

In the afternoon and early evening during carnival you may come across people dancing in the streets behind Bandas and Blocos. "Bloco" is a group of people that gather to goes along with the band.

"Bandas" are  amateur marching bands with brass and percussion instruments. The bandas play Carnaval favorites songs as the they move along.

To join in the fun, all you need to do is jump in when you see the band pass. Bandas are one of the most tradicional aspects of Rio´s Carnival.

Band de Ipanema is a traditional banda that paredes on the second Saturday before Carnival and paredes again on Saturday carnival. There are lots of bandas throughout the city that paredes once or twice during and around carnival. 

Here a brief list of some street bands and blocks:
Copacabana Neighbourhood: Banda do Leme, Banda da Santa Clara, Banda da Sá Ferreira 
Dowtown: Cordão do Bola Preta
Ipanema  Neighbourhood: Simpatia é quase amor
Jardim Botanico Neighbourhood: Suvaco do Cristo 

Street Carnival at Santa Tereza Neighbourhood: Bloco das Carmelitas 
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Carnival Balls
There are Balls for all tastes and all pockets. Most of the balls are quite informal affairs, open to the middle and upper-middle classes of Rio. 
Some cheaper and popular balls are also readily available but can be somewhat wilder and potentially dangerous to go alone.
There are some Carnival Balls that are surreal and erotic events like Scala´s Ball. Some balls are snooty affairs, like the ones at Copacabana Palace Hotel, one of the most expensive hotels in Rio. Click here to read more about widely known carnival balls and its calendar such us the ones describe above.
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Rehearsals
Around Agust, rehearsals start at the Escolas de Samba (Samba´s "schools" or clubs). Rehearsals usually take place in the headquarters of  the Samba Clubs and are open to visitor.

Samba City: At the end of this page you can see about this thematic city with year-round samba and carnival activities.

Tourist Carnival Show: 
Carnival Shows are held year-round at Plataforma Samba Show, a barbecue/show’s house, in Leblon. It present spectacles of the Brazilian folklore and Carnival.
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Samba City / Year-round Cultural Activities 

Samba City is the most recent tourist attraction in Rio de Janeiro. It is a thematic city, built in the port district by the City Hall. It occupies an area of 114.000 sq. meters, at Rua Rivadávia Corrêa 60, Gamboa
The aim of the thematic city is to transform Samba School activities into a permanent practice. Not only It is a tourist attraction, but Samba City has become a production center of genuine art. 
The design of Samba City consists of geometrical figure formed by the factories surrounding the main square. 

The Factories of Samba 
Huge 10m wide by 7.5m high gates allow the dazziling floats fully assembled go out. 
Located on the highest floor of 2.700m², there are hat fashioning room, sewing ateliers, adornment room, and workshops involving polystyrene and fiber glass modeling. 
It has available a cargo elevator that services all four stories. 
A 12m high ceiling allow carnival dazziling floats to be assembled in real size. 
The visitors can go trhough all factories from an outside sidewalk and watch things being made from an 8m high balcony.

Year-round activities at Samba City
All year-round you can learn samba dance and hear the drum rhythms of the Carnaval Bateria. You can also see sample shows of the exciting colours of the fantasy fest along with the costumes, and performances of dance and choreograph.
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Copacabana Palace Hotel Ball:

This ball takes place at Copacabana Palace Hotel ball-room, and It is where the rich, top models, celebrities and tourists choose to dance and appear in the midia.

Popular Ball at Cinelândia Square: Open-air popular ball, is held by the city hall. It is free and crowded by ordinary people who does not want to spend money. People goes there to dance, drink or just to walk around and see what is going on. 

Scala Balls:

Baile da Mangueira: (Mangueira Ball) ) Feb 19, Thuesday. 
Baile do Vermelho e Preto: (Red & Black Ball) Feb 20, Friday. It is a highlight in terms of balls. This ball suggest a black and red dress code alluding Flamengo football team´s colors.
Baile da Cidade Maravilhosa: (Worderful City´s Ball) Feb 21, Saturday.
Uma Noite em Ibiza: (A night at Ibiza) Feb 22, Sunday
Baile da Cerveja: (The Beer Ball) Feb 23, Monday
Scala Gay: Feb 24, Tuesday, thematic ball dedicated to the gay public.

The Scala night club is located at Av. Afranio Melo Franco 296, Leblon, Phone.:2239-4448.