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 samba 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 Samba Carnival Technical 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 Technical Rehearsal, 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 Samba Carnival Technical Rehearsals:

Friday, January 9th:
- Mangueira Technical Rehearsal, 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 Technical Rehearsal - 8:00 PM
- Portela Technical Rehearsal, 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 Samba Carnival Technical Rehearsals:


Sunday, February 1st:
- Santa Cruz, 6:30 PM
- Grande Rio Samba Carnival Rehearsal - 8:00 PM
- Vila Isabel Samba Carnival Rehearsal 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 Samba Carnival Rehearsal 6:30 PM
- Unidos da Tijuca Technical Rehearsal , 8:00 PM
- Salgueiro Technical Rehearsal 10:00 PM ----> Great!!

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

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

Dont miss the chance of see the Rio´s Technical Rehearsals!

Unidos da Tijuca Samba School is already in the “full power rehearsal “mode, for the 2009 Rio de Janeiro Carnival. The traditional Samba School from the Tijuca district was founded in 1931 by Bento Vasconcelos, Leandro Chagas, and Alcides de Moraes and is Brazil´s third oldest major Samba School. The school that has as its main colors the gold yellow and the blue, is practicing for the 2009 Rio de Janeiro Samba parade, and will have the space odyssey as its carnival theme. The official title for Unidos da Tijuca Carnival Parade Theme for 2009 will be “Uma odisséia sobre o espaço” or “One Space Odyssey”, having Luis Carlos Bruno as the schools Carnival Art Director.



The traditional samba school already chose its samba theme lyrics, composed by Julio Alves and Totonho, which describes a possible intersection between moon, stars, comets and the magical journey of carnival. The beauty and joy of Tijuca´s Samba School is reflected into space and the infinity, turning possible this imaginary voyage. Please read below the Samba lyrics.

2009 Unidos da Tijuca Samba Lyrics: Space Odyssey

“Dourado é o sol a clarear
No azul do céu, estende o véu, isso é Tijuca
Chegou, na cauda do cometa, o pavão
E a minha estrela foi buscar na imensidão
Cruzou o céu no limiar do infinito
O meu Borel visto de cima é mais bonito
Eu vou alçar ao espaço
Cavaleiro alado a desvendar
Além das estrelas o monte de Zeus
Horizonte de meu Deus, Oxalá

Vai Tijuca, me faz delirar
A essência vem de lá
Da ciência à navegação
Luar que embala meu sonhos
Luar de qualquer estação

Eu vi brilhar, em seu olhar, a devoção
A lenda do guerreiro e o dragão
O despertar da fantasia
Vi também a criança em seu carrossel
De heróis das estrelas, um céu
De mistérios e magia
Na tela, tantas jornadas pelos astros
Quem dera poder viver em pleno espaço
Vejo em minha lente a imagem sideral
Viagem do meu Carnaval

A nave vai pousar
E conquistar seu coração
O dia vai chegar
Quando brilhar nossa constelação”



Unidos da Tijuca is rehearsing for the 2009 carnival parade at the “Clube dos Portuários”. The club is very large and is conveniently located closed to the Rio Bus Station. Everyone is invited to visit the rehearsals which happen every Saturday from October 2008 to the beginning of the 2009 Rio Carnival.

The official date for the 2009 Rio de Janeiro Carnival is February 21st through 24th.

The Unidos da Tijuca Samba School rehearsal starts generally at 11:00 PM, every Saturday and ends at 5:00 AM. The samba rehearsal is an excellent way to start getting acquainted with the Brazilian Carnival. At the rehearsals, you can listen the impressive power of the drum section, with more than 40 percussionists.



You will also be able to watch the beautiful choreography of the samba school flag bearer and mater of ceremony, swiftly dancing through the samba court, presenting the school´s flag and tradition.

Another interesting activity is the samba dance itself, performed by community dancers. During these dry runs, community members and invitees take the opportunity to practice the samba routine steps. Finally, all members at the rehearsal practice the singing of the samba parade theme lyrics, so everyone is in tune with the official interpreter and drum section. Tickets are sold at the entrance, and admittance price is charged at R$ 10,00 - R$ 20,00.

Please see below map to the Tijuca´s rehearsal facilities:

The address for UNIDOS DA TIJUCA`S SAMBA REHEARSAL is:

Quadra: Clube dos Portuários – Av. Francisco Bicalho, 47 – Santo Cristo. The best way to there is to get a taxi from your place. It should not be more than R$ 30,00-45,00. Surely, this location is the closest from all samba schools rehearsals.




So don´t miss this great opportunity to join the true Rio de Janeiro samba world. Visit Unidos da Tijuca samba´s practice sessions. We are sure you will have loads of fun. Carnival in Rio is magical cultural and healthy. Visit Rio, visit Brazil!

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 Carnivalis 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