Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro

Rio has plunged into five days of hedonistic revelry as the city's legendary carnival opened on February 28, with King Momo taking the keys of the city and declaring joy by decree. The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a world famous festival held before Lent every year and considered the biggest carnival in the world with two million people per day on the streets. The first festivals of Rio date back to 1723. One of the many main purposes of the Rio carnival parade is for samba schools to compete with fellow rival... not (they are called co-sisters) samba-schools; this competition is the climax of the whole carnival festival in this city, related to the samba-schools environment. Each school chooses a theme to try and portray in their entry. The samba schools work to build the best floats, costumes, lyrics, aesthetics, to represent their themes. As the parade is taking place in the Sambodromo and the balls are being held in the Copacabana Palace and beach, many of the carnival participants are at other locations. Elegance and extravagance are usually left behind, but music and dancing are still extremely common. Anyone is allowed to participate in the street festivals.

Reveller of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Grande Rio samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Grande Rio samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Grande Rio samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Grande Rio samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Grande Rio samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Grande Rio samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Drum Queen Evelyn Bastos of the Mangueira samba school. ©REUTERS

Revellers of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Drum Queen Raphaela Gomes of the Sao Clemente samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Mangueira samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Mangueira samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Mangueira samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Mangueira samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Mangueira samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Mangueira samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Mangueira samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Mangueira samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Mangueira samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Mangueira samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Mangueira samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Mangueira samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Salgueiro samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Salgueiro samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Salgueiro samba school. ©Reuters

Drum Queen Viviane Araujo of the Salgueiro samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Salgueiro samba school. ©Reuters

Revellers of the Salgueiro samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Salgueiro samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Salgueiro samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Salgueiro samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Beija-Flor samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Beija-Flor samba school. ©Reuters

Reveller of the Beija-Flor samba school. ©Reuters