Be Part of the Greatest Carnival on Earth, the 2011 Rio Carnival

One of the greatest and much-awaited celebrations in the world is about to occur come Friday 4 March to Tuesday 9 March 2011. The Brazilian Carnival in Rio de Janeiro or ‘Carnaval’ to the locals in Portuguese gives everyone a glimpse of the heart of the culture of Brazil. Although Carnivals take place in different Brazilian cities, South American countries and other Catholic countries but the Rio Carnival stands to be the most elaborate and most popular of them all. Some of the popular Carnivals apart from the Rio Carnival are celebrated in Recife, Olinda and Salvador but none of them can compare to the grand Rio Carnival.

Aside from the thousands of local Rio Carnival celebrants, the number of tourists from different parts of the globe who come to Rio to witness the Carnival are around more than half a million each year.

The date for the Rio Carnival changes every year, it is traditionally set on Saturday and ends in Fat Tuesday before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The lavish celebration of the Rio Carnival is regarded as last-minute acts of pleasures right before the abstinence during the Lent.  The Carnival is a four-day celebration where people practically do nothing but dress up, party, sing and dance to great samba music.

The Rio people prepare for the Carnival for months in organizing the parades, practicing for the Samba performances and creating costumes and decorations. The Rio Carnivals get better each year as participants aim to top the previous Carnival. Everyone is looking forward to the 2011 Rio Carnival as it promises to be the best one yet. The city of Rio anticipates the ceremonial crowning by the city’s mayor who presents a giant silver and golden key to the year’s King Momo or Fat King.

The 2011 Rio Carnival will be celebrated in practically every street and corner of Rio de Janeiro. The city is alive and never sleeps for practically the whole extent of the 4-day celebration. But the main attraction of the Carnival, the real reason which makes the Rio Carnival the best one in the world can be experienced in the Samba Parade or the Rio Carnival Parade. The Samba Parade is a Samba dance competition among the most prestigious Samba schools in Rio.

If you are deciding to visit Rio de Janeiro at least once in your life, coming to the 2011 Rio Carnival will definitely be an experience you will never forget. Samba fanatics should not miss the much-talked about Samba dance competitions in the Sambodromo. The competitions take place every day of the Carnival period beginning on Saturday until Tuesday.

The Samba presentations that take place on Sunday and Monday are considered to be the major competitions; tickets are expected to be more expensive than the tickets for the Saturday and Tuesday presentations. It would be a wild Samba experience to be able to watch all the Samba competitions throughout the week but if you will have to choose, try to secure tickets for the major events.

The five parades that comprise the Samba Parade are: Special Group Parade, Champions Parade, samba schools in Group A Parade, samba schools in Group B Parade and Children’s samba schools Parade. Although the Rio Carnival officially starts on Saturday, the Children’s samba schools begin their celebration with a parade on Friday, 4 March, 2011.  On the opening of the Carnival on Saturday, March 5, 2011; the samba schools in Group A or the Access Group will display their performances in the Sambodromo. They are composed of 10 big samba schools, and the winner of this competition will become part of the Special Group.

Among the 12 samba schools in the Special group, 6 will compete on Sunday and Monday (March 6-7, 2011). One can only expect the most elaborate, extravagant and breathtaking show the world has to offer. It is highly advisable to be at the Sambodromo around 5 in the afternoon when the gates will open. Be sure to have some food with you to enjoy a good dinner right before the opening ceremony at 8 in the evening. The parade will usually start at around 9 PM.

On Tuesday, March 8, 2011, the samba schools in Group B will compete to become the reigning champion. The samba schools in Group B, also called the base group are the schools from which the big samba schools originally came from. Albeit small, these schools perform with as much vitality and passion to display their talents.

If you are unlucky enough to miss the Samba Parade from March 5 (Saturday) to March 8 (Tuesday), the Champions Parade on March  12 (Saturday) is your best shot at getting a real taste of the Brazilian samba spirit.  In this parade, six of the best samba schools belonging to the Special group will once again strut in all their glory with fireworks. It is also considered to be the second best parade in the Samba Parade.

After watching the parades, why not raise your party mode up a notch and take part in the Scala Ball in Rio Scala in Leblon? In 2011, the Scala nightclub will be celebrating their 30th anniversary with one of the grandest theme-inspired indoor Carnival celebrations ever. If you feel like partying in open-air space, the Samba Land in Praça Onze is the place to be. This downtown area is located near the Sambodromo and is considered to be the birthplace of Brazilian samba music. Go food tripping and social drinking with your friends, loved ones and Brazilian locals while listening to live concerts and waiting for the sun to rise for another day of fun and entertainment.

Whether in partying in the high-end bars of Leblon or dancing in the street parties in the Cinelândia Square it would be impossible not to understand the meaning of enjoyment and fun when you take part in the best Carnival celebration in the world, the Rio Carnival.

Tags: Brazilian Carnival,carnival rio de janeiro, carnaval rio de janeiro, 2011 Rio Carnival