Well my first Carnaval has been and gone. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. The two main attractions of Carnaval are the blocos and the parades in the Sambodromo.
I attended a number of blocos but, to be honest, they were not quite what I expected. In my mind I had always imagined colourful and lively street parties filled with music. In reality, they were a little hit and miss. I definitely enjoyed the blocos during the day more than in the evenings. The evening blocos were a little sketchy at times whilst the ones during the day had a friendlier feel. However a lot of the time I found myself waiting around for the music to begin and, along with everyone else, confused about whether the bloco had actually started or not!
What absolutely exceeded my expectation however was the Sambrodromo parade. It was absolutely incredible. Here is some information that will hopefully help you if you are planning to attend:
Choosing a parade
There are a number of different parades that you can attend over the main weekend of Carnaval and the Saturday following. If you are in Rio prior to Carnaval weekend you can also attend a rehearsal parade from approximately 4 weeks before. The main parades however are held on the Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights of Carnaval and the following Saturday night.
The samba schools are split into two categories: Special Group and Access Group.
The Friday and the Saturday nights host the Access Group parades. The Access Group is like the second division and therefore tickets are considerably less expensive on these nights.
The Sunday and Monday nights are for the Special Groups which are the 12 top groups in Rio. Tickets for these nights are the most expensive.
The following Saturday night is the Champions Parade which is the 6 top placed Special Group samba schools. This is the night I went to and I would highly recommend. You see all the best schools but the price is significantly cheaper than the Sunday and Monday parades.
Parade timing
Each night, the parades typically commence at around 9pm and continue well into the morning. Typically they don’t finish until 5am and almost the entire crowd stays in the Sambodromo until the last float has gone through. On each night there are 6 samba schools on show and they typically take about 90 minutes each.
Where to buy tickets
Tickets can be purchased directly from the Sambodromo in the lead up to Carnaval for the cheapest price. Alternatively, you can use the website Rio Carnival which is recommended by the Lonely Planet. When buying a ticket you need to first pick the type of seating and then the sector. When selecting the type of seating, it really depends on your budget.
Choosing a ticket type
The most expensive option is either the Camarotes or Frisas. Camarotes are VIP seating like a corporate box. Typically you would need to be invited to a Camarote as a guest of the company who own the box. The Frisas are dedicated seating areas for 6 people with a little coffee table that are air conditioned and are a great option if you can afford it. However, on the busier nights (Sunday and Monday) you may need to purchase the entire Frisa as opposed to just buying one or two seats. The cheapest option is just to buy access into the main grandstands which is a non-dedicated seat on the benches that line both sides of the Sambodromo.
Choosing a section
In terms of sections, I would recommend choosing an even numbered section (e.g. 2, 4 etc.) as they are located on the side closest to the Metro station (Praca Onze). The odd numbered sections require you to walk right the way around the Sambodromo which can take up to half an hour. The higher the number section, the more you will be located towards the end of the parade. Section 8 is often a popular section sold to tourists as it doesn’t get as packed as some of the others. However, I would actually recommend sitting more toward the beginning of the parade (sections 2 or 4) as it can take a float more than 30 minutes to make it from one end of the Sambodromo to the other meaning that those in the higher numbered sections need to wait around the longest for the parade to start and end.
How to get there
The easiest, safest and cheapest way to get to the Sambodromo is by Metro. The Sambodromo is a short walk from the Metro station Praca Onze. Signage between the station and the Sambodromo is not the best however you really just need to follow the person in front of you to arrive at the Sambodromo without any drama. The Metro is also the best option for leaving the Sambodromo at the end.
Here are just a couple of photos from my Sambodromo experience.
Rio... One Last Adventure 