Rio Carnival 2027
A city that stops working and starts dancing.
Countdown to Rio Carnival 2027
Dates
When is Rio Carnival?
Rio Carnival 2027 falls from Friday, 5 February 2027 to Tuesday, 9 February 2027.
Carnival runs Friday 5 to Tuesday 9 February; Special Group parades on 7, 8 and 9 February, Champions Parade on 13 February.
Date checked against riocarnaval.org
| Year | Dates | Length | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 13 – 17 February 2026Fri – Tue | 5 days | Past |
| 2027 | 5 – 9 February 2027Fri – Tue | 5 days | Confirmed |
See every festival by date in the 2026 festival calendar and 2027 festival calendar.
The story
What it is, and why it matters
- Type
- Parade & Carnival
- Tradition
- Christian
- Where
- Rio de Janeiro, Southeast
- Crowd
- 6 million across the city
- UNESCO
- Not inscribed
The Sambadrome turns into a 700-metre proving ground where twelve samba schools spend a year's budget on ninety seconds of your attention.
Carnival runs from the Friday before Ash Wednesday to Ash Wednesday noon, but Rio's real calendar starts eleven months earlier in a warehouse in Jacarepaguá where a theme is chosen, floats are welded and 4,000 costumes are sewn.
Sunday and Monday nights belong to the Special Group at the Sambadrome. Wednesday belongs to the blocos — street bands that pull hundreds of thousands of people through the centre, some of them starting at 6am and finishing well after the last metro train.
Culture
Traditions, food and music of Rio Carnival
Traditions
What actually happens
- Desfile das escolas de samba — the parade itself, judged on nine categories.
- Blocos de rua — street bands, some with 400 drummers, all free to join.
- Corte do Rei Mom — the symbolic handing of the city keys to the King of Carnival.
- Quarta-feira de cinzas — the ash Wednesday run that formally ends everything.
Food
The table, widened
- Feijoada: black bean and pork stew, the pre-Lent plate that clears the fridge.
- Caipirinha, pão de queijo and grilled queijo coalho on every corner from Ipanema to Madureira.
Music
Sound of the crowd
Samba-enredo is the only genre written for a moving stage set. Beyond the Sambadrome: marchinhas, pagode, funk carioca and the cuíca's thin electric shriek that cuts through every bateria.
Religion
Why this date
Carnival is the three days before Lent — Entrudo, brought by Portuguese colonists and immediately transformed by Yoruba and Bantu ritual. The result is a Catholic date carrying an African calendar underneath it.
History
How it survived
The first recorded Rio procession was in 1641. Ranchos carnavalescos appeared in the 1890s; Mangueira, the oldest active school, was founded in 1928. Oscar Niemarch's Sambadrome opened in 1984 and moved the parade off the street and onto architecture.
History
How it got here
The first recorded Rio procession was in 1641. Ranchos carnavalescos appeared in the 1890s; Mangueira, the oldest active school, was founded in 1928. Oscar Niemarch's Sambadrome opened in 1984 and moved the parade off the street and onto architecture.
1641
Entrudo
First documented Rio procession — water fights and wax lemons.
1928
Mangueira
The oldest continuously active samba school is founded in a Morro favela.
1984
The Sambadrome
Niemeyer's purpose-built parade avenue opens and reshapes the whole festival.
Today
Six million
Rio's carnival now draws more visitors than the city's permanent population.
Travel & practical
Visiting Rio de Janeiro for Rio Carnival
Getting there
Galeão (GIG) and Santos Dumont (SDU) both sit inside the city. Book carnival flights by September.
Parade tickets
Sambadrome seats sell in frisas, camarotes and arquibancadas. The cheapest tier is still standing-room only.
Practical notes
Metro runs 24 hours during carnival. Carry a photocopy of your passport, not the original.
Plan the trip with free AltFTool tools
FAQ
Rio Carnival: common questions
Straight answers to what people ask most about Rio Carnival.
Do I need a costume?
For the Sambadrome, dress smart-casual — the costumes belong to the schools. For blocos, wear white and shoes you can lose.
When is the best night?
Sunday is the highest quality parade; Monday is where the upsets happen; Wednesday's blocos are the most fun.
Is it family friendly?
Daytime blocos are very family-friendly. The Sambadrome late slots and Lapa after midnight are not.
Also in February 2027
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