Brazilian Carnaval facts

Is this your first trip to the Brazilian Carnaval? If so, read up on some must-know facts about this gigantic party!

Each year people from all over the world flock to Brazil to enjoy the annual carnival that takes place there. It is a time of year when music, fun and dancing are all important and it is impossible not to get caught up in the samba beats. If you would like to know more about this exciting time of year, here are some Brazilian Carnaval facts.

The Carnaval is over 350 years old

The Brazilian Carnaval first started way back in 1641 when the rich in Rio de Janeiro decided to copy the European tradition of hosting masquerade parties and balls which were common in Paris. These were flamboyant affairs where both men and women dressed in outrageous costumes and danced to the music of the time. This developed over the years and started to incorporate the samba music of Brazil as well as more and more amazing costumes. These balls started to be held outdoors and eventually parades were introduced where the streets were filled with carnival goers.

It is the busiest time of year in Rio

As you might think the Brazilian Carnaval is the busiest time of the year in Rio de Janeiro and the hotels and other accommodation do tend to get booked up well in advance. This means that if you are planning on going to Rio to enjoy the carnival you really need to make sure that your accommodation is taken care of well in advance. Most tourism experts will advise people to book up to 8 months in advance to make sure that they get the accommodation that they want while they are attending the Carnaval.

Tickets are hot property

As well as accommodation being hard to find the nearer it gets to carnival time it can also be difficult to get hold of tickets for the various parades and balls. So if there is a particular event that you wish to attend you need to make sure that you are first in line for those prized tickets.

Doesn’t all this excitement make you want to get tickets for the Brazilian Carnaval?