Does anyone know the when is festivus celebrated? 2009 Carnival in Rio is already a reality. Wandering through the city´s night, samba school rehearsals courts, and “botecos”, Cariocas feel the energizing magic of the world´s largest popular festival. Following this vibrant wave, LIESA, the Official Carnival Association in Rio de Janeiro, announced last week this year´s schedule of the technical rehearsals at the Sambadrome.

"Special" and "Access Group" samba-schools from Rio use these technical rehearsals to make adjustments to their parades. Some of the areas that are practiced and reviewed by the samba schools include comissão de frente – opening wing choreography, drum section movements , floats distances, singing of the samba theme lyrics and overall harmony of the samba parade.
RIOTUR, the Rio de Janeiro official tourism body and LIESA all take the opportunity to make the last sound, lights, and broadcasting adjustments to the grand parade.




The samba-schools that go through these parades rehearsals are part of two groups, the so-called “Special Group”, which is the elite team, and the “Access Group”, the second tier group, but also very large and traditional. Many samba celebrities and drum queens also use the technical rehearsals at the Sambadrome to test their samba dance routines and popularity too.

At these dry runs, costumes are not used, but each school must take minimally 800 “paraders” to this official rehearsal. Samba school components sing the samba school theme lyrics to practice the samba melody, attunement, and arrangement. Another good reason to check out the official technical parade rehearsals at the Sambadrome is that they are free! Don’t miss out this event!



Please see below the Rio Carnival Technical Rehearsals Schedules:

December 2008 Carnival Rehearsals:

Friday, December 5th:

- Beija-Flor Samba-School, 9:00 PM

Sunday, December 7th:
- Império Serrano Samba-School, 8:00 PM
- Mangueira Samba-School, 10:00 PM

Friday , December 12th:
- Vila Isabel Samba-School – 9:00 PM

Sunday, December 14th:
- Unidos da Tijuca Samba-School - 8:00 PM ----> Great!!
- Mocidade Samba-School, 10:00 PM



See above the first couple Rogerinho and Lucinha Nobre practicing at Unidos da Tijuca court.

Friday, December 19th:
- Salgueiro Samba-School, 9:00 PM

Saturday, December 20th:
- Renascer Samba-School, 6:30 PM
- Portela Samba-School , 8:00 PM
- Imperatriz Samba-School, 10:00 PM

Sunday, December 21st:
- São Clemente, 6:30 PM
- Grande Rio, 8:00 PM


January 2009 Carnival Rehearsals:

Friday, January 9th:
- Mangueira, 9:00 PM

Saturday, January 10th:
- Tuiuti, 7:00 PM
- Império Serrano , 9:00 PM

Sunday, January 11th:
- Caprichosos, 6:30 PM
- Grande Rio, 7:00 PM
- Beija-Flor, 9:00 PM

Sexta, January 16th:
- Unidos da Tijuca, 9:00 PM
- Império Serrano, 11:00 PM

Saturday, January 17th:
- Porto da Pedra - 8:00 PM
- Portela, 10:00 PM

Sunday, January 18th:
- Império da Tijuca, 6:30 PM
- Vila Isabel - 8:00 PM
- Salgueiro, 10:00 PM

Friday, January 23rd:
- Mocidade, 9:00 PM
- Imperatriz, 11:00 PM

Saturday, January 24th:
- Porto da Pedra - 8:00 PM

Sunday, January 25th:
- Rocinha, 6:30 PM
- Mangueira , 8:00 PM
- Viradouro, 10:00 PM

Friday, January 30th:
- Império Serrano, 9:00 PM

Saturday, January 31st:
- Estácio de Sá, 7:00 PM
- Portela, 9:00 PM ----> Great!!

February 2009 Carnival Rehearsals:

Sunday, February 1st:
- Santa Cruz, 6:30 PM
- Grande Rio - 8:00 PM
- Vila Isabel, 10:00 PM

Sexta, February 6th:
- Mocidade, 9:00 PM

Saturday, February 7th:
- Inocentes, 6:30 PM
- Porto da Pedra - 8:00 PM

Sunday, February 8th:
- União da Ilha, 6:30 PM
- Unidos da Tijuca , 8:00 PM
- Salgueiro, 10:00 PM ----> Great!!

Saturday, February 14th:
- Imperatriz - 9:00 PM

Sunday, February 15th:
Beija-Flor , 9:00 PM

Carnival 2009 has been officially launched in Rio de Janeiro by an event called “parade draw”. With many schools deciding upon their samba-concept and samba-lyrics, the Rio de Janeiro 2009 Carnival parade schedule was settled by a draw at the Samba city. The draw is very important since it defines the schedule in which the samba schools parade at the Sambadrome, Sunday and Monday Carnival. Presidents of all samba schools that take part of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival elite represented their organizations in this happening.

Some of Rio ´s most important Carnival and tourism authorities were also present at the event, including Jorge Castanheira, carnival major league association “LIESA” president; Bruno Matos, director of events of Riotur; Aloysio Legey, Globo TV Network broadcasting director, and Rio de Janeiro State Representative Francisco de Carvalho (Chiquinho da Mangueira ) to name a few.



Above, beautiful poetic shot by Mary Ellen Aquino of carnival drums.

Parade Schedule for 2009 Rio de Janeiro Carnival was defined as follows:

Sunday Carnival – February 22nd, 2009

9:00 PM : Império Serrano Samba School</i>
10:00 PM : Grande Rio Samba School
11:10 PM : Vila Isabel Samba School
00:15 AM: Mocidade Independente Samba School
01:20 AM: Beija-Flor Samba School
02:25 AM: Unidos da Tijuca Samba School

Monday Carnival – February 23nd, 2009

9:00 PM : Porto da Pedra Samba School
10:00 PM : Salgueiro Samba School
11:10 PM : Imperatriz Leopoldinense Samba School
00:15 AM: Portela Samba School
01:20 AM: Mangueira Samba School
02:25 AM: Viradouro Samba School

The Samba Schools have a minimum of 65 minutes and maximum of 82 minutes of parading time at the Sambadrome. Stay tuned to Belavista Carnival Blog to access Brazilian Carnival news.



Belavista Brazil Carnival is a non-commercial blog devoted to wonders of Rio de Janeiro, with a focus to the Brazilian Carnival. Our sole objective is to describe how Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is magically created, its artists, dancers and musicians that make up the world’s largest show. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns