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Carnaval in Brazil

The samba parade in Rio de Janeiro might make the news headlines, but there's a whole lot more to Brazil's Carnaval. Read on to find out more, plus our production tips for filming this extravagent spectacle...

Brazil's Carnaval is one of the biggest open air celebrations in the world. But there is much more to it than the news headlines might have you believe

"The year doesn't start until after Carnaval" is a popular saying in Brazil that demonstrates just how important the date is in the national calendar. It's celebrated the length and breadth of the country, and each city and region has its own traditions. What they all have in common, however, is music, dancing, costumes and a whole lot of people letting their hair down in raucous style.

From the big samba parades in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, to the blocos (street parties) that vary in size from a gaggle of neighbours banging drums to roving sound systems with million-strong crowds, Carnaval (or Carnival, in the English spelling) has something for everyone.

10 things you (probably) didn't know about Carnaval in Brazil

01 Carnaval has been celebrated for more than 2,000 years

The festival dates all the way back to Antiquity. While its precise origins are uncertain, it is believed to originate in Ancient Greece, as a celebration of pagan gods and the arrival of spring. This was centuries before the Catholic Church included it in the Christian calendar.

02 Carnaval takes place forty days before Easter

The celebrations officially end on Ash Wednesday, the first day of lent. Think of it as the last hurrah before the self-denial begins, when anything goes and all will (hopefully) be forgiven afterwards. The name is even said to derive from the Latin phrase Carnem Levare meaning “abstain from meat”, which became carnevale in Italian, and Carnaval in Portuguese.

03 Carnaval lasts for weeks

The Carnaval festivities reach their dizzy peak on the weekend before Ash Wednesday and the following Monday and Tuesday (which are public holidays in Brazil). It’s over those days that the samba schools compete to be crowned Carnaval champion in a nationally televised spectacle that is just one part of the diverse celebrations. Carnaval’s street parties (known as “blocos”), however, get going weeks before and continue for a few weekends after.

04 Carnaval is not just a Rio thing

Carnaval tends to be associated with Rio de Janeiro, and whilst it’s probably the most famous of the country’s celebrations, Carnaval festivities take place all over Brazil. Salvador, the capital of Bahia, is famed for its axé music and trio eletricos – roving stages on wheels with powerful sound systems, famous bands and revellers that follow alongside for hours. Olinda, on the other hand, is famed for the giant puppets which parade through the streets.

05 São Paulo now hosts the biggest Carnaval in Brazil

In 2010, most people would visit São Paulo during Carnaval precisely to escape the chaos in other Brazilian cities, in search of peace, quiet and a traffic-free city where they can shop, eat out and enjoy the city's cultural attractions without the crowds.

In 2020, however, the city hosted the biggest street Carnaval in Brazil, with more than 800 officially approved blocos (street parties) hitting the streets throughout Carnaval.

To put that in context, in 2011 there were just a few dozen blocos in São Paulo. By 2019, that number had grown to just over 500 blocos, attracting 14 million people, compared to a similar number of blocos but just half the number of revellers (7 million) in Rio de Janeiro throughout the Carnaval period.

06 Brazilian cities have parade grounds built just for Carnaval

Sambadromes – or sambódromos in Portuguese – are parade grounds built especially to host the samba school parades. The most famous is in Rio de Janeiro, which was designed by the late architect Oscar Niemeyer and was completed in 1984 with seating for 90,000. São Paulo as well as a handful of other state capitals also have sambadromes, where die-hard samba fans watch the samba parades until sunrise.

07 Anyone can parade at the Sambadrome during Carnaval

Samba schools work hard all year round for their moment of glory at the Sambadrome during Carnaval in a production that far outshines anything on Broadway. Tourists, however, can pay their way into the spotlight by buying a costume and dancing their way down the Sambodromo in front of the TV cameras and spectators.

08 Carnaval has a Queen

In Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, the samba parades at the sambodromes are presided over by not just one queen, but a dozen or so “Carnaval queens”, each one representing a competing samba school.

From models to actresses and celebrities, these women know how to samba, and spend months getting in shape for the big parade, which is broadcast on national television.

It's a very prestigious honour to be chosen as a Carnaval Queen, and can be lucrative, too, with sponsorship deals often following.

On the night of the samba parade, the Carnaval Queens wear wildly extravagant costumes that can weigh up to 20 kilos, full of feathers and sparkles, costing upwards of $50,000.

09 The street parties are where the wild things are

For many decades, Carnaval was a more exclusive celebration, the preserve of the elites. In the late 19th century, however the parties began to take to the streets in a more egalitarian style, and have boomed in number and variety since then. Known as “blocos”, they’re all about free-spirited revelry, music and costumes, and require serious stamina.

10 Carnaval is big business

In the past, samba schools in Rio de Janeiro have been embroiled in scandals about money laundering and links with drug traffickers . These days, the money that revolves around Carnaval is legit and involves big sums. Brands sponsor the street celebrations in Brazil’s biggest cities in deals worth millions of dollars, while the televised samba parades also bring in big sponsorship deals for national broadcaster Globo. Millions of visitors descend on the main Carnaval cities spending money on food, drink and accommodation. In 2020, São Paulo’s street Carnaval generated over half a billion dollars for the city economy, according to the city’s tourism board.

In 2021, Carnaval was canceled throughout the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2022, because of the spread of the Omicron variant, the São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro health departments decided to postpone the Sambadrome parades until April. However, the blocos that also occur during this celebration were not permitted: Carnaval was lacking its spirit.

The entire magnificence of Carnaval will be back in 2023! Parades start on February 17, the main event happens on Feb. 19, and the celebrations wrap up on Feb. 22.

Starting in November of last year, the samba schools rehearse in their courtyards on Saturdays. And, every Sunday from January 15 to February 12, the Sambadromes run technical rehearsals.

If you are thinking about coming to Brazil to film anything related to Carnaval, Story Productions can help you navigate the festivities with the best crew, using the best equipment. Please drop us a line, and we'll provide you with excellent production services to help you achieve your audiovisual project goals.

Tips for filming Carnaval in Brazil

If filming anything other than the Carnaval itself, we would generally advise our clients to avoid this holiday period, when shoot logistics are that much more challenging and expensive. That said, Carnaval is a videographer’s dream, so for crews looking to film Carnaval, read on for our productions tips:

1 Get up hight

Capturing the best images of the crowds means getting up above them. Drones are one way to do that, and Story Productions regularly provides professional drone operators in Brazil’s largest cities for clients. Alternatively, an apartment at a strategic point can be sourced and booked by one of our location scouts.

2 Allow time to get around, then add some

Getting around Brazil's biggest cities during Carnaval can be a major headache, with the street parties bringing some neighbourhoods to a complete standstill. This means that getting from one shoot location to another takes longer will need careful planning to anticipate the bottle necks. São Paulo, given its size and sprawl, can mitigate this issue.

3 Plan interviews well ahead and have a plan B
High profile foliões (party goers, samba dancers and musicians) tend to have their diaries full for the duration of Carnaval, so planning interviews ahead is important. People often cancel or reschedule at the last minute, too, so having a back-up plan for shooting B-roll or other interviews means time and money isn’t wasted.

5 Organise permits and accreditations in advance

Certain Carnaval events, such as the samba parades in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, require prior press accreditation. Other public locations may require filming permits. Story Productions can organise all filming permits for international clients.

4 Be agile with equipment
Navigating big crowds of revellers with heavy cameras is not conducive to capturing the best footage. If close-ups and vox pops are important, the crew should shoot with just the bare essentials that are are as lightweight as possible. Story Productions can provide all equipment necessary. Read our guide to bringing equipment in and out of Brazil.

6 Expect the unexpected

If Brazil can be unpredictable at the best of times, Carnaval is a whole different story. Normal rules of etiquette don’t apply and personal space doesn’t exist. Agility, creativity and patience are your friend. For support in navigating the experience, don't forget to book your Brazilian fixer!

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