Rio Carnival: '2000 Schedule

NOTE: This is a schedule of events for activities, parades and balls for Carnival in Rio 2000. The number and day of activities, parades and balls may change with each Carnival season. There are also many private parties at hotels and clubs throughout Rio and many spontaneous street parties as well. Without a doubt, Rio in Carnival is a city in party-time!

From March 3 to 7, 2000, Rio de Janeiro once again plunges into the greatest theme-party on earth, with many pre-carnival events, and an unforgettable wrap-up on the Champion Saturday March 11, at the Sambadromo, downtown. A city-wide explosion of typically Carioca merry-making, Carnival is the greatest street celebration in Brazil. Carnival is a party for the entire town, interlinking thrills, creativeness, plasticity, colors, sounds, costumes and plenty of dreams. Carnival involves art, music, literature, magic and above all, life itself.

SAMBA LAND – An open air courtyard where the Samba Land is launched on January 20 with performances during the weekends before carnival, and continues at full steam ahead during the four days of merry-making, until the Champion’s Saturday. Stalls offer typical food and drink, while a huge stage draws all attention, with Brazilian top music shows. A visit to Samba Land during Carnival takes visitors to a dreamland of fantasies. The percussion music players with their exotic instruments, beautiful women dressed in costumes representing a wide variety of themes, everyone who has just paraded or is waiting to parade in a samba school. Color, rhythm, music, all blended into a fantastic setting that sweeps visitors away.

Place : Presidente Vargas Avenue, next to sector I of the Sambadrome
Time : From 10pm to 5am

STREET BANDS – During the pre-carnival period and the four days of merry-making, local cariocas dance through the streets behind carnival bands, clustering into informal groups that meet every weekend at the beach or at sidewalk bars for a draft beer while rapping out samba rythms. These groups gave rise to these bands, whose names usually mention their points of origin.

CARNIVAL 2000 OPENING – Parade opening Carnival 2000 festivities with the Carnival King, Queen and Princesses.

Place : Melvin Jones Square – Av. Nilo Peçanha with Rio Branco – Downtown
Time : March 3^rd, in the afternoon

CINELANDIA BALL – Open-air festivity that draw youngsters and grow-ups to the downtown Carnival. A stage is set up in this square where carnival bands liven up these street-dancers for children in the afternoon and adults at night.

FANCY-DRESS METROPOLITAN BALL – Fancy dress ball to the sound of Maestro Formiga band.

Place : Metropolitan – Shopping Via Parque – Ayrton Senna Avenue, 3.000 – Barra da Tijuca
Time : March 3^rd , from 11p.m. onwards

Saturday March 4

XXV OFFICIAL COSTUME CONTEST – Richly elaborate costumes and fancy dresses offer a breathtaking spectacle. Dazzlingly huge costumes often honor celebrities or interpret themes from a wide variety of fields.

Place : Hotel Glória Convention Center – Rua do Russel, 632
Time : From 7 p.pm. onwards

SAMBA SCHOOL PARADE (GROUP A) – This parade features 12 spectacular samba schools presenting their themes in costume, music dance and lighting, featuring a wide variety of original topics reflected in colorful floats. These huge schools are divided into groups, “comissão de frente” wich opens the parade, follow by several wings or “alas” and the “bateria” percussion section. This group A is the second highest ranking with the champion and runner-up promoted to the Special Group next year.

COPA CARNIVAL BALL – Traditional Carnival Saturday Ball, with all the luxury typical of this hotel.

Place : Copacabana Palace Hotel – Av. Atlântica, 1.072 – Copacabana
Time : From 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.

CINELÂNDIA STREETS BALLS – Open air festivity that draws youngsters and grown-ups to the downtown Carnival. A stage is set up in this square where Carnival bands liven up these street dancers for children in the afternoon and adults at night.

Place : Floriano Square – Cinelândia - Downtown
Time : Children Ball – From 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Evening Ball – From 9 p.m. onwards

BANDSTAND CONTEST – Decorated bandstand contest spotlight the artistic talents of neighborhoods and communities. Awards for creativity, using color, light and animation.

STREET BALLS – The four days of Carnival feature street-balls held all over town, whose main purpose is to preserve the spirit of street festivities.

RIO FOLIA – Events bringing together traditional Brazilian folklore music, such as frevos, ranchos, afro groups and other expression of folk culture that have been appearing recently in Rio de Janeiro. During the four days of Carnival, in front of the Carioca Arches, well-known performers and new talents participate in this event, revitalizing street Carnival.

Place : Largo da Lapa, in front of the Carioca Arches.
Time : From 9 p.m. onwards

Sunday March 5

MOST ORIGINAL MERRY-MAKER – This contest is design to encourage the creative participation of the most important people in the carnival spectrum – anonymous merry-makers dancing through streets.

SAMBA SCHOOL PARADE (SPECIAL GROUP) – This parade – the high point of Carnival – is split into two nights each featuring seven samba schools, on Sunday and Monday. These Special Group Samba Schools stand out for the magnificence and luxury of their parade, featuring favorite artists and well known personalities.

The parade order is: Unidos do Porto da Pedra, Acadêmicos do Grande Rio, Unidos de Vila Isabel, Caprichosos de Pilares, Tradição, Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel and Portela.

Monday March 6

SAMBA SCHOOL PARADE (SPECIAL GROUP) – On this second night of parade, the schools presenting in the following order: Unidos da Tijuca, Estação Primeira da Mangueira, Acadêmicos do Salgueiro, Imperatriz Leopoldinense, União da Ilha do Governador, Beija-Flor and Unidos do Viradouro.

MOST ORIGINAL MERRY-MAKER CONTEST – GROUP AND CLOWN CATEGORIES – Yet another Carnival contest, for this time a warding prizes to the best fancy dresses for groups satirizing politicians, celebrities and other famous names in the community, as well as events in the news. Masked Clovis wear colorful baggy outfits and startle the unwary by hitting the group with their noisy bull-bladders (now made from colorful plastic). Traditionally, they communicate through gestures, in order to avoid being identified by their voices.

METROPOLITAN GALA BALL AND CHAMPION OF THE CHAMPIONS – Masked ball having as main attraction the parade of creative design. Music to the sound of Maestro Formiga orchestra.

Place : Metropolitan – Via Parque Shopping Center – Ayrton Senna Avenue, 3000 – Barra da Tijuca
Time : From 10:00p.m. onwards

Wednesday March 8

SAMBA SCHOOLS PARADE VOTE COUNT – Samba school vote counting to decide the winners of Carnival 2000.

Place : Apotheosis Square – entrance via Frei Caneca street – Cidade Nova, Downtown
Time : From 3 p.m. onwards

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