The best seats of Carnival, can be found nowhere else but at The Sambodromo

When visiting Rio during Carnival, the Sambodromo is the only place to see the samba schools on parade. With a seating capacity of up to 50,000, The Sambodromo covers 102,000 square yards. Billed as the world’s greatest parade stadium, The Sambodromo was the creation of designer Oscar Neimeyer. Located in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, The Sambodromo plays host to the competitive parade which features Brazil’s finest Samba schools and is considering the crowning event of Carnival.

The area in which The Sambodromo is located was one a 700 meter stretch of the Marques de Sapucai, a downtown Rio street. The facility features bleachers on both sides as well as an area at the end of the parade route that serves as a square in which party-goers gather at the end of the parade. Although The Sambodromo was built exclusively with the parade competition in mind, the venue is also used for international music concerts. Featured performers have included The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Carlos Santana, and Avril Lavigne.

Samba schools begin rehearsing in The Sambadrome in December to prepare for the parade in February, just prior to the beginning of Lent. A four day event, the Carnival parades are held on consecutive nights. Schools are on parade from 8 pm until early the following morning. On Saturday night, the Grupo de Acesso A schools kick off the event followed on Sunday and Monday by the Grupo Especial schools. The Grupo De Acesso B schools finish up the event on Tuesday. The Grupo Especial competition features 14 of Rio de Janeiro’s finest schools.

If you’re planning on attending the parade’s at the Carnival, all four nights will provide excellent entertainment, however, it is the Sunday and Monday night parades that typically draw the largest crowds. The parades are televised on national television and are a favorite attraction of visitors and residents alike. Each school is given 80 minutes to parade from one end of The Sambadome to the other. A performance typically includes thousands of dancers, drummers, and floats. Schools are judged and in most cases, the competition is fierce. The winners of the competition are announced on Ash Wednesday. The following Saturday, another performance featuring the five winning schools in the Grupo Especial category is given at The Sambadome. This event is known as the Parade of Champions.

To Americans, the prices for the event are extremely reasonable with ticket prices for the Grupo Especial competitions ranging from $60 to $220.00 per person. In comparison, tickets for the Grupo de Acesso A competition were selling between $5 and $13 dollars. Unfortunately, the commercialization and extreme popularity of the event has driven the cost of attending too high for many Brazilians who instead host free block parties all over the city instead. Tickets for the Parade of Champions were between $30 and $110 dollars last year.

If you’re not lucky enough to get seats at The Sambodromo for the parades or visit Rio de Janeiro at another time, you can still visit The Sambadome and stop in to check out the Carnival Museum. The trophies of the Samba schools are displayed in the museum as well as many other exciting artifacts of Carnival. The photographs in the museum are an excellent source of information and provide visitors with a pictorial understanding of all facets of Carnival. Admission to the museum is free and the English speaking staff is more than accommodating. The museum is also located in downtown Rio de Janeiro, next door to The Sambodromo. Throughout the year, there are other cultural, educational, and even sporting events that may be held in the area. You’ll want to check with your travel guide to find out what might be happening during your visit.