Dancing on the sand in Rio

By Chris Leadbeater, TravelMail

rio carnival

Party time: living it large in Rio

'The Greatest Show On Earth' is an overused headline that is seemingly applied at the drop of the proverbial hat to describe any event of a vaguely spectacular nature. But it's not hard to make a case for awarding this rose-tinted title to the Rio Carnival.

Few other local gatherings (for all the tourist interest, the carnival is still fundamentally a big community knees-up) have such a global reputation - there can't be many people who, at mention of 'Carnaval', don't think of glittery costumes, huge parades and the sound of samba drums mixed with the crashing of Atlantic breakers.

But what exactly happens at the Rio Carnival? How easy is it to get involved? And, more importantly, when is it? All will be revealed...

When? Pretty soon. As with its almost-as-famous colleague, the New Orleans Mardi Gras, the Rio Carnival is held six-and-a-half weeks before Easter. In 2007, that means Saturday 17th February to Tuesday 20th. Such is the exuberance of Rio's celebrations that four days are required for the city to shake the fever from its system.

What is it about? As with Mardi Gras, Carnaval is a last blast of fun before the start of abstemious Lent, the traditional Christian fasting period that precedes Easter.

However, whereas we Brits content ourselves with making pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, then studiously avoiding the religious connotations of the next few weeks, Rio (and the whole of Brazil) throws itself into a huge outpouring of song and dance.

But don't attribute too much religious meaning to Carnaval. Even in a deeply Catholic country like Brazil, the festival is a no-holds-barred exercise in pure hedonism.

How did it start? Carnaval has its origins in Christian Lent tradition, but is also heavily infused with pagan rituals, African tribal rhythms (samba, as with most decent music, was born in Africa) and a flamboyant local sense of fun.

'Entrudo', a pre-cursor to Carnaval, is recorded as first taking place in Rio in 1723. Celebrated by Portuguese immigrants, it was a simple concept, with people gathering to throw buckets of water and (for some reason) limes at each other.

By the mid-19th century, an element of drum-banging and parading had developed (a shoemaker named José Nogueira de Azevedo - and his mates - are credited with this innovation), and with the arrival of cordões - groups of street musicians and dancers - by the end of the century, the event had roughly evolved into Carnaval as seen today.

What happens these days? Five nights and four days of top-draw partying (Carnaval unofficially kicks off on the Friday night) - but the main attraction is the Samba Parade, a two-day razzle-dazzle-fest of sequins, samba and either gloriously over-the-top or barely-there costumes (and that's just the boys).

Dating back to the 1930s, this structured (in a very loose way) core of Carnaval is held at the Sambodromo, a 60,000-capacity corridor of seating in the Downtown area of Rio, through which the city's 'samba schools' swirl, shimmy and twirl in front of a suitably appreciative audience. A relatively recent construction, the Sambodromo was built in 1984 to save the city from its previous chore of putting up temporary stands each year.

Seen outside carnival season, these drab pieces of concrete look as if they have been dropped at random into the heart of Rio (at times they are even used as outdoor school classrooms). Seen on a February evening with 50,000-plus colour-clad chameleons spinning down its 'runway', the Sambodromo is easily a match for Rio's other great 'arena', the hallowed Maracana football stadium, in terms of sheer excitement.

What are 'samba schools'? Not, as you might think, places where badly co-ordinated young men learn to shake a leg (that's the British definition of 'samba school'), but the highly-trained, often 5,000-strong groups of dancers whose determination to be the best is the beating heart of Carnaval.

There are 14 main samba schools in Rio, each representative of a different area of the city. They compete to be crowned Carnaval champions over the Samba Parade's two nights of stylish rump-shaking (Beija-Flor, who hail from the poverty-stricken Nilopolis neighbourhood on the outskirts of Rio, have dominated of late, taking the title three times in the last four years - although they lost out to Vila Isabel in 2006). Each participant wears a suitably glitter-drenched costume that, according to the rules of the contest, must be made from scratch every year.

Each samba school gets 60-75 minutes on the runway, and performs a routine based around an annual allotted theme (2004's theme was about the need to preserve the environment and the Amazon. In 2000, it was different periods of Brazil's history, in celebration of the country's 500th anniversary). The performances are marked by judges from the League of Samba Schools. The six best schools march again at the next weekend's Winners' Parade.

When does the Samba Parade happen? On the Sunday and Monday nights of Carnaval. Seven of the samba schools dance each night. The action usually starts at 9pm, and goes through to sunrise between 6am and 7am. No falling asleep now.

How much does a seat at the Samba Parade cost? Depends where you sit (not that you'll be doing much sitting - it's standing up and wiggling your hips all the way). A place in one of the restricted-view areas of the grandstand can be a few Brazilian Reais. Access to the plush celebrity-packed boxes can set you back US$1,000 (£580).

What else happens? Don't worry if you can't get a ticket for the Sambodromo. Carnaval spills out across Rio, and it's impossible to escape the 'bandas' - local groups of musicians and dancers who put on smaller versions of the big parade in their own neighbourhoods.

Unlike the main event, these gatherings are free, and can attract up to 10,000 participants - a magnetic lure that does little for Rio's traffic flow. Famous bandas include the Cordao do Bola Preta, who march in the centre of the city, and Banda de Ipanema, who, as the name might suggest, parade near the famous beach.

A load of balls: Another aspect of Carnaval is the balls that take place across the city - usually on the Friday, Saturday and Tuesday evenings so as not to clash with the Samba Parade. The poshest of the posh is the ball at the legendary Copacabana Palace Hotel (www.copacabanapalace.com.br - yes, that Copacabana, Barry Manilow experts).

A colossal black-tie event featuring a mix of celebrities, sports stars, local socialites, the filthy rich and the politically powerful, a ticket will set you back at least 800 Brazilian Reais (£190). Even so, this pricey bash is hardly representative of the balls found at many a club along Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Dressing up is essential - the more extravagant the better - and admission will cost you far less than £144.

What else is there to do? Loads. If you're going to fly all the way to Rio, you may as well see the sights. The 1,300-foot Sugar Loaf Mountain, accessible by cable car, is a must-visit - as is Corcovado, the lofty crag topped by the famous statue of Christ The Redeemer (www.corcovado.com.br - tickets around £9.50). And it would be rude not to spend an hour or two among the frighteningly-gifted footballers on Copacabana, or watching the surfers come splashing towards the fine white sands of Ipanema.

Get a room: Choose from 133 hotels in Rio by clicking here. And, while you're at it, compare prices on flights to the home of Carnaval by clicking here.

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