Glitz, glamour and samba at Rio's Carnival parade

Rio’s top samba schools performed during the second day of Carnival parade on Monday, closing the “Special Group” event. Tens of thousands watched the last six schools display a colorful exhibition of incredibly hand-crafted floats and costumes as performers danced and cheered through the iconic Sambadrome.

This year’s Carnival parade comes back to its original date, celebrated few days before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, after cancellations and rescheduling due to COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and 2022. All 12 schools wait for the results on Wednesday, when judges will announce their grades in nine different categories.Rio's Sambadrome has been home to the parade since the 1980s, and is a symbol of Brazil's Carnival festivities.