Rio carnival set to attract thousands
It enjoys worldwide fame, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists every year who come to see the scantily-clad women and bright colours of the Samba parades, and in February the Brazilian Carnival will parade through the streets of Rio de Janeiro once again in a blaze of spectacular glory.
The annual celebration starts on Friday February 20th and last for four days, ending on Tuesday 24th with the gay costume ball in Rio Scala.
It is thought to have its origins in the pagan festival of Saturnalia, when the Romans commemorated the dedication of the temple of Saturn, and the modern carnival dates back as far as the 18th century.
Today it is a ritual of extravagant costume and outlandish headgear displayed in a series of fabulous parades involving traditional music and dance.
Most offices and businesses close over the week of the festival, so there is a real party atmosphere in the city.
One of the highlights of the Rio de Janeiro carnival is the parade of the top samba schools which takes place on the Sunday and Monday nights in the purpose-built sambodromo arena, with tickets for the grandstand selling at around £100 per seat.
This year the samba parade has again attracted attention before the carnival has even got underway, with the Times reporting that two of Rio’s most famous dance schools have chosen women in their mid 40s as their carnival queen, a position usually only held by the most beautiful young ladies.
President Obama is also set to make an appearance, in mask form, with one of the oldest carnival costume-makers saying it has made 7,000 images of the new US president and already sold thousands.
Laura Rendell-Dunn, marketing executive of travel company Journey Latin America, says the event plays a huge role in attracting tourists to the country.
“Hotels put their prices up during carnival because they know they are going to get lots of visitors and they impose minimum stays. It is super busy,” she asserts.
Accommodation becomes stretched at the time of the festival as thousands flock to the city to experience the world’s greatest carnival, she affirms, so there may be an opportunity for Brazilian property investors to capitalise on the demand for holiday lets in February.
Rio de Janeiro is not the only city that puts on a good show, however, and Ms Rendell-Dunn says the carnival in the western town of Olinda near Salvador, which takes place at the same time as its southern counterpart, has a street party feel.
“It’s Trios Eletricos, which is a big wagon with lots of loud speakers attached to it blaring out music typical of north-east Brazil and on top of these wagons, you’ve got samba dancers or famous pop singers from that area of Brazil playing their stuff.”
She adds: “It does a procession through the streets in the main centre of Salvador and anyone can join in.”
However, Rio de Janeiro is still the main attraction for many visitors and for those who make the trip to witness the carnival first-hand, Ms Rendell-Dunn urges them to make the most of this spectacular event.
“Enjoy it and join in with the Brazilians. It is a unique festival to visit and there’s nowhere else in the world where you are going to get this experience,” she concludes.
