Rio Carnival

At the heart of Rio de Janeiro's Carnival are the competitive parades of the 12 samba schools of the Grupo Especial at the Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí in Cidade Nova. They are organised by LIESA (Liga Independente das Escolas de Samba do Rio de Janeiro). In 2027, LIESA says, the parades take place between 7 and 9 February. The best-placed schools return for the Champions' Parade (Sábado das Campeãs) on Saturday 13 February 2027.

Each school parades with its own samba-enredo (theme samba), a bateria (drum section), floats and wings of costumed members, and judges score them. The 12 sambas for 2027 have been chosen in contests at the schools' own halls, and LIESA's official album of the sambas is released on 29 October 2026. Unidos do Viradouro, champion of the last parade, opens the album, as tradition requires.

Sambadrome tickets

Tickets are sold by LIESA through Ticketmaster for each parade night and for the Champions' Parade. Options range from grandstand seats (arquibancadas) and numbered individual chairs (cadeiras) to frisas, open boxes by the runway for six people, and covered camarotes. Some sectors are already sold out, and LIESA says it will announce the sale of the popular grandstands in Sectors 12 and 13 later.

Beyond the Sambadrome

Carnival in Rio also takes to the streets with neighbourhood blocos. The official 2027 street-carnival programme was not available to check, so look for it from Riotur, the City of Rio's tourism office, closer to the date.

• Grupo Especial parades: the 12 elite samba schools compete at the Sambadrome on 7–9 February 2027.
• Champions' Parade: the top schools return to the Sambadrome on Saturday 13 February 2027.
• Frisas by the runway: open boxes for six right beside the parade, sold by LIESA through Ticketmaster.
• The 2027 sambas: LIESA's official album of the 12 theme sambas is released on 29 October 2026, so you can learn the songs before you go.

• Centro and around Praça Onze: the closest base. Praça Onze metro station is about a 7-minute walk from the Sambadrome, and Central about 15 minutes.
• Copacabana, Ipanema and the Zona Sul: the beach neighbourhoods. They are on the metro, so you can ride to Praça Onze or Central on parade nights.
• Near Galeão airport: handy for an early flight, with BRT buses linking to the metro at Vicente de Carvalho, but a long way from the beaches.

International flights land at Rio de Janeiro/Galeão – Tom Jobim International Airport (GIG). From Galeão, the BRT Transcarioca (Parador) runs to Vicente de Carvalho, where it connects with Metro Line 2. Mobi-RIO runs a special bus from Terminal 2 to Terminal Gentileza, and taxis and ride-hailing apps are available. Santos Dumont (SDU) is Rio's city-centre airport.

For the Sambadrome, the nearest metro stations are Praça Onze (about a 7-minute walk) and Central (about 15 minutes). Central do Brasil is also the nearest train station, about a 17-minute walk. On normal days the metro runs from 5am to midnight Monday to Saturday, and from 7am to 11pm on Sundays and holidays. Parades run late into the night, so check metrorio.com.br for MetrôRio's 2027 Carnival timetable before you go. We don't have a Rio de Janeiro city guide yet; see our Brazil guide.

Flight delayed or cancelled on the way? See our Travel Disruption guide for your rights.

The Sambadrome parades are ticketed. LIESA sells tickets through Ticketmaster, and the sale of special grandstands, individual chairs and frisas for 2027 opened on 10 September 2026. Special grandstand seats in Sectors 2 to 11 (except 9) and individual chairs in Sector 12 cost R$250 per night. Half-price tickets cost R$125 and are for students, people with disabilities and other groups set out in Brazilian law. Frisas for six people cost from R$1,835 to R$10,200 a night. Sales limits apply per CPF (Brazilian tax number). Children pay from the age of 5. LIESA will announce the sale of the popular grandstands in Sectors 12 and 13 later.

Buy only through LIESA's official channels (Ticketmaster or the Central LIESA sales office, Rua da Alfândega 25, Centro). LIESA says it is fighting ticket touts. You can report suspicious sellers to ingressoseguro@liesa.org.br.

• Parade nights are long: several schools parade each night and the parades run late, so check the parade timetable (horário dos desfiles) on LIESA's site and plan how you'll get home.
• What you can bring: up to two 500 ml plastic bottles of drink and two food items. Cool boxes, glass bottles, cans, bags, fireworks and sharp objects are not allowed.
• Children: under-16s must be with a parent or legal guardian in every sector, and the authorities can ask for a birth certificate.
• Weather: FCDO notes that Rio's rainy season runs from November to March, and heavy rain can cause flash floods and landslides. Bring a light rain poncho.
• Money and phones: carry only what you need and keep your phone out of sight in the street. FCDO advises against carrying large sums of cash.

Rio Carnaval (LIESA) says the Sambadrome has areas for disabled spectators. One is by the Praça da Apoteose, after the Sector 13 frisas, with free places for a disabled person and a companion, distributed through Riotur, the City of Rio and a disability association. Another is by Sector 10, with tickets sold normally. Riotur also marks wheelchair spaces on the first step of the special grandstands in Sectors 2, 4, 6 and 8, which LIESA recommends for disabled spectators. Half-price tickets are available for people with disabilities. For 2027 arrangements, contact the Central LIESA sales office ((21) 3190-2100) or see the Rio Carnaval FAQ.

FCDO warns that criminals target large celebrations in Brazil such as Carnival, and that pickpocketing is common. Avoid wearing expensive jewellery and watches, don't carry large sums of money, and avoid using your phone in the street. Don't go on to city beaches after dark.

• Before you go, read the UK government's FCDO travel advice for Brazil (entry requirements, safety and local laws).
• Flight delayed or cancelled on the way? See our Travel Disruption guide for your rights and live alerts.