Glitzy parade kicks off Carnival in Sao Paulo

Sao Paulo kicked off its world-famous Carnival parade on Friday evening with some of Brazil's top samba schools performing at Anhembi Sambodrome. Friday was the first of a two-night competition in the city, which has recently emerged as a Carnival hotspot.

The COVID-19 pandemic last year prompted Sao Paulo to delay Carnival by two months, and watered down some of the fun, which was attended mostly by locals. This year, however, the Carnival is back in full swing to its pre-pandemic form. Brazil’s federal government expects 46 million people to join the festivities that run through Feb. 22.