🇧🇷Rio Carnival

About Rio Carnival

Rio Carnival is the biggest carnival on the planet, a riot of samba, colour and music that takes over Rio de Janeiro for five days each year. It officially opens on the Friday before Ash Wednesday, when the city's mayor hands the symbolic keys to King Momo, the larger-than-life master of the festivities. Rooted in Portuguese pre-Lenten feasting fused with African rhythms and traditions brought to Brazil, Carnival has grown into a celebration that draws millions of revellers from around the world.

The heart of Carnival beats in the Sambadrome, where the elite samba schools parade through the night with towering floats, drum corps (baterias) of hundreds, and thousands of costumed dancers per school competing for the championship over two glittering nights. Around it sprawl the blocos — hundreds of free street parties spilling through every neighbourhood — alongside glamorous balls and beach gatherings from Copacabana to Ipanema, turning the whole city into one enormous open-air dance floor.

Because Carnival is tied to Easter, opening on the Friday before Ash Wednesday, its dates move each year between early February and early March. The countdown above works out the date automatically and shows exactly how long is left until the parades begin. Add it to your own page to count down to Brazil's most spectacular party.