Sambódromo del Marqués de Sapucaí

A sambadrome is a special venue specifically designed for the Samba school parades that are a highlight of Carnival celebrations in Brazil, particularly in Rio de Janeiro.

• Key features of a sambadrome:
  • A long, narrow parade route where samba schools perform.
  • Tiered seating for spectators, offering excellent views of the parade.
  • Elaborate decorations and lighting to create a festive atmosphere.

Review- Experience 

We had the great pleasure of enjoying the carnival rehearsal at the Sambódromo.

On the weekends before carnival, the schools practice at the Sambódromo. As if it were a soccer championship, in the parade there are two categories, the First and the Ascenso. On the Sunday that we went there was an ascenso escola and two first class escolas. Of course, the first one went first, leaving the best for last. When we saw it, we thought that if it was the worst we were going to see, we could not imagine what the other two would be like. To give you an idea of the magnitude, a second class comparsa has between 400 and 600 participants and between 2 and 4 floats and a first class comparsa has around 4000 participants and between 4 and 6 floats. We were in the Academicos Do Grande Rio stand and in front were the Beija Flor twisters. We arrived early, we started chatting with a guy who had lived in Argentina, so he spoke some Spanish. He was very kind, he told us who we could buy beer from, at the exit he accompanied us to the bus stop, demonstrating the kindness of the Brazilians. The level of joy and partying we reached that night was hard to match.