2025’s Guide to America’s Carnaval Parties and Events
Connect Brazil’s Carnaval Coast-to-Coast guide gathers up the best – and most exciting – events.
Carnival, Carnaval, Carnivale, Mardi Gras. Call it what you will, it’s an annual rite of celebration worldwide.
The spirit of Carnavl moves From the Big Easy, south through the Caribbean fand on to South America and Europe. The rhythmic excitement arrives just in time for our salute to Samba in its many forms. This weekend Brazilians everywhere will celebrate. And Brazil’s three largest cities, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, Bahia showcase unique Carnaval traditions to audiences worldwide.
Carnaval was born in Rio de Janeiro. Each year, its newly-crowned Rei (King) Momo is presented with the keys to the city. By raising his golden ‘staff of state’ he officially begins the annual rites of the world’s largest party, Carnaval.
Other Brazilian cities and many nations join with their celebrations. However, none come close to the rapturous non-stop passion of Rio’s four-day, holiday. Our own Mardi Gras, when compared to Rio’s famed Sambadrome is like a match to a bonfire.
This year, Rio’s Carnival runs from February 28th through March 9th. Dozens of pre-Carnival festivities (including Rio’s scandalous Carnaval Balls) begin earlier. The star of the show is the Champions Parade will wrap up the celebration with the awards ceremonies.
From the very start, Salvador has always presented a unique way of celebrating the biggest street party on the planet. In true African spirit, the Carnival in Bahia is a celebration of happiness; a spirit which involves participation by everyone. All are welcome to join in the celebration through song, music, and dance.
The driving force behind the celebrations leading up to Ash Wednesday is Axè. Axè is an Afro-Brazilian beat that has made Salvador the musical capital of Bahia.
Bahian drummers and Axè rhythms overwhelm millions of revelers who dance until dawn during the Carnival. Salvador’s frenzy amplifies the city’s pride. Followers of Filhos de Gandhi group make its cultural statement of brotherhood by spreading the ideals of the Mahatma.
Carnaval in Sao Paulo
Friday and Saturday are set for Sao Paulo’s Carnival, while Rio reaches its peak on Carnival Sunday and Monday. The nonstop parties are accessible to people from various lifestyles. Events range from family-oriented entertainment to exotic and outrageously expensive.
For the 2025 Carnival in Sao Paulo, Escola Colorado do Brás will open Friday’s parade of the Special Group. Other Escolas follow. These include Tom Maior, the Academic Tucuruvi, Rosas de Ouro, Mancha Verde, Vai-Vai, and Perola Negra.
Carnival Saturday’s parading order changes yearly. Nene da Vila Matilde, Aguia de Ouro, Mocidade Alegre, and United Vila Maria are past leaders. Then X-9 Paulistana, Gavioes da Fiel and the Imperio de Casa Verde.
The last day features the Access Groups. Torcida Jovem, Academic Tatuape, Empire of Ipiranga, and Morro da Casa Verde are inlcuded. So are Camisa Verde e Branco, Uirapuru Mooca and Leandro de Itaquera. The performance by the a specially selected Escola will close the festival.
Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro
Saturday’s schedule begins the wind-up, with the Cinelandia Balls, where more than 60,000 will dance the nights away, to the Costume parades which snake continuously throughout Rio and its neighborhoods. Sunday is the main event for the Parade competition, where the top seven Escolas do Samba, or ‘Samba Schools’ will present their Carnaval theme, with grandiose floats, their unique Samba Enredo (the song the group will march to), and literally thousands of – as many as 5,000 – brightly costumed marchers presented in blocos (or groups) to visually portray aspects of their theme.
Connect Brazil’s Carnaval Coast-to-Coast: The Experience
Rio’s top Samba Schools
Websites (in Portuguese):
Salgueiro
www.salgueiro.com.br
Rocinha
www.academicosdarocinha.com.br
Imperatriz Leopoldinense
www.imperatrizleopoldinense.com.br
Caprichosos de Pilares
www.caprichososdepilares.com.br
Vila Isabel
www.vilaisabel.com
Grande Rio
www.academicosdogranderio.com.br
Beija-Flor
www.beija-flor.com.br
Connect Brazil’s Carnaval Coast-to-Coast: The Experience
The planning and preparation for these large parades is an almost daily, year-long process, which begins to all come together in November of each year via dozens and dozens of rehearsals, some of which are open to the public.
These rehearsals are the best introduction to the authentic samba. The moment the first pulsating sounds from the percussion instruments of a samba school are heard, one’s whole body responds and the feet follow the rhythm. All samba schools have a rehearsal yard or hall, generally used on weekends. There people dance and learn the samba of the school that will be presented at the parade. It is undoubtedly an unforgettable experience. There are also dress rehearsals at the Passarela do Samba, a good opportunity to enjoy part of the great festivity.
Watching the samba schools parade is living Carnaval itself. It means bouncing about, singing the lyrics of the sambas, supporting the schools, and vibrating with an exciting atmosphere. Each school performs for 80 minutes. It’s a show of vitality, brilliance, and movement. It’s a product of the community’s hard work throughout the year. Groups of helpers are organized and, in the huge sheds in the Center, work does not stop. For its participants, a Sambadrome experience is like a religion and every year the ritual of joy is dazzling.
Connect Brazil’s Carnaval Coast-to-Coast: The History
Brazil’s Carnaval is an annual celebration held forty days before Easter (marking the start of Lent), in Brazil. It has some differences from its counterparts in Europe, as well there being variations across the large Brazilian territory.
Despite the Catholic inspiration, Brazil’s Carnival celebrates more as a pagan feast than a religious event. Its origins are European, by a kind of carnival called Introito (Latin for entrance). Brazilians call it entrudo, thought of mainly as a public prank. For instance, throwing water at others to “purify the body”.
The entrudo was prohibited without success in the 1800s, due to the violent nature of these actions. Recent generations have greatly toned down the mischief.
In the late 19th Century, cordões (“laces” in Portuguese) were introduced in Rio de Janeiro, which consisted of groups of people who would walk on the streets playing music and dancing. These cordões were ancestors of today’s Escolas da Samba (samba schools). Today they are known as blocos (blocks).
Blocos represent the current culture of Brazil’s Carnival. They form by people who dress in costumes according to certain themes, or to celebrate the carnival in specific ways. Samba schools (Escolas) are large community organizations that work daily throughout the year in order to prepare for Carnaval parades. They compete for honor, prestige, and for cash awards.
Rio de Janeiro’s Carnaval celebration is world-famous and broadcasts internationally to millions of international revelers.
Salvador: Marching To A Different Beat
Salvador and other cities of the Brazilian Northeast have inspired a different form of Brazilian Carnival called Trio Elétrico. A trio elétrico is a large truck with an elevated stage, with giant speakers and a platform where musicians perform Samba, Axé music and (in Recife) Maracatu songs.
During the Carnival, a large man represents the role of Rei Momo, the “king” of Carnival, whose rule is one of fun instead of that of everyday authorities. The tradition of the king originates with the tradition of the king and queen of Maracatu. In turn, Maracatu has its origins in the northeast and Rio de Janeiro.
Courtesy Wikipedia.com
Music, Travel, Friends and Fun
Connect Brazil’s Carnaval Coast-to-Coast
Stories like ‘Connect Brazil’s Carnaval Coast-to-Coast’ are what we do. Why don’t you join us?
Sign Up for our e-letter. Listen to our live streaming station and our streaming music channels, always free. Browse our Lifestyle Directory. Like our Facebook page, follow us on X (Twitter), and find Brazilian events coast to coast.
