Rio Carnival 2025 to hold three days of the Special Group parade

Carnival 2025 promises to consolidate Rio de Janeiro as the stage for the largest popular festival on the planet. With attractions for the most varied profiles, the expectation is for record attendance. The diversity of attractions should please revellers of all ages, reinforcing the importance of Rio's Carnival.

The street carnival begins on February 1st, transforming the streets of Rio into a great stage of joy and tradition. In 2024, around 6 million people participated in the festivities throughout the city, and the forecast for 2025 is that this number will be surpassed, with more revellers joining the block parties. 

In addition to the traditional “blocos”, the Carnival's Special Group will hold three days of parades for the first time this year. In total, Marquês de Sapucaí will offer the public five consecutive days of events, starting on Friday, February 28th, with the Special Group parades taking place from Sunday, March 2nd, to Tuesday, March 04th. Four samba schools will be performing on each day of the Special Group at the sambadrome. This contributes to tourists staying longer in Rio, both to watch the parades and to explore other attractions in the city. The success of the new format is evident: all tickets for the parades have been sold out since September 2024, with only VIP boxes, or “camarotes”, remaining.

Another important new feature is the technical rehearsals, with two parades for each samba school. The second parade will feature the same sound and lighting system that will be used in the official presentations, ensuring quality and previewing the experience for the public.

In addition to the Sambadrome and the street parties, the city also hosts the Intendente Magalhães parade, a space in the northern zone of Rio where smaller samba schools present themselves. Private parties and popular dances also boost the economy, generating direct and indirect jobs during the days of festivities. Carnival is an essential tool in promoting the city and attracting tourists.