Rio Carnival 2024

No place on Earth does Carnival like Rio! – 7 days of non-stop partying

Rio de Janeiro is world-famous for its Carnival and a must-see, once in a lifetime event, a sceptical that will leave you breathless. The Rio Carnaval is not only the biggest Carnival globally; it is also a benchmark against which every other Carnival is compared.

• Almost everyone has heard of the Rio Carnaval, and foreign visitors to it alone number over 1 million every year, so plan your trip in advance, hotels fill up fast. 

Rio Gay Circuit Carnival Events

• Heaven night club, one of the newest gay venues in Rio hosts a weekend of circuit parties featuring the biggest djs and a raft of international circuit names.
• Revolution Carnival, the famous pool party hosts a series of events, including its eponymous pool party, a beach party and a block party
• TNW Rio Carnival – The New World and The Home Club present the Rio Carnival Circuit festival, five days of breathtaking parties including the BIgger, and 18+ festivals from Sao Paulo.
• Guapo – The Super Guapo Party, part of a weekend of circuit events, including the world-famous La Leche direct from Barcelona.

Popular Gay Bars during Rio Carnival

Enjoy daily street parties and smaller parades each day, and every gay bar and club has a different party each night.

• Boate 1140 LGBT dance club with full bar & an array of events on stage including samba, pop & drag queen shows.
• Galeria Cafe  – Every Friday, Galeria packs in the young hotties and a few of their straight female BFFs. Music ranges from “flashbacks” to the ’80s, and 90’s to pop divas of today like Rihanna.
• Boate La Cueva – The oldest remaining gay bar in Rio de Janeiro is worth visiting if you are staying in Copacabana.
• Pink Flamingo –  Popular gay bar open seven days a week and each night has a little something different: DJs, stripper contests, Scruff-app nights, funk music parties, and more.
• Several circuit parties and large events are typically held during Carnival. As soon as they are confirmed, we will add them. Note that large clubs such as The Week and the BITCH parties are no longer open or hosting events.
• Rio central hotels should be booked well in advance. Stay at the Emiliano Rio, a boutique hotel in the heart of Copacabana with spacious suites and rooms, high end amenities and perfect location for exploring the best of Rio.

Rio Carnival Parades

• For ten days, all of Rio celebrates as the clock ticks to the climax at the Samba Parade with some of the world’s most spectacular costumes and floats.
• The main parades on Sunday 11th and Monday 12th of February 2024
• The Carnival King is Momo, he is the god of mockery in Greek mythology, and according to Carnival tradition, King Momo should be jolly and as big as a house. Legend suggests that he was expelled from the Olympus to come and settle down in Rio, the City of Carnival.
• The Rio Carnival officially opens with the delivery of the key of the city to King Momo. When King Momo sambas, everything and everyone should also samba with him. Rio celebrates Carnival 40 days before Easter.
• It officially starts on Saturday and finishes on Fat Tuesday with the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, after which one is supposed to abstain from all bodily pleasures.

The Gay Carnival & Block Parties

• Rio Carnival gay celebrations start way before anything official even begins. Take a tour and stop by Mangueira samba school, where teams are constantly rehearsing, and LGBTQ pride reigns supreme!
• Blocos da Rua (street block parties) are infused with a small amount of playful sexuality and gender fluidity. But, a handful of blocos are widely recognized as gay-friendly (or GLS, the Portuguese acronym for gay, lesbian, and sympathizers.)
• During Carnaval, be prepared for drag queens, overly indulgent and colourful parades, along with an “anything goes attitude”.Check out the gay-themed parades such as Bonitos do Corpo (“beautiful bodies”), a tribute to Brazilian beauty and the human form.
• One of the most popular new Bock parites includes New Kids on the Bloco. Check out the best of the gay Blocos with this guide including a PDF of all the major parties.

Banda de Ipanema Block Parties

• Stay at the Sol Ipanema Hotel with a beautiful rooftop pool located just steps from the beach and close to the biggest gay parties and events.
• Hit the streets at Banda de Ipanema (Farme de Amoedo Street) for some fabulously gay street parties. Several street bands and groups stop the traffic at strategic points of the city, and some of them constitute the “official” Gay Carnival in Rio.
• The Banda de Ipanema opens the Carnival festivities two weeks before the official date, organizing three parades. This street band attracts many drag queens who personify different images, from the most classical, such as Carmen Miranda, to the most bizarre and grotesque. The second and third parade are traditionally on the Saturday and Tuesday of the final Carnival weekend.
• Most of the samba schools make tributes to gay icons as they parade through the streets. Many attendees, LGBTQ or otherwise, hit up this parade with the singular intention of kissing as many people as possible. If you want to participate in the street festivities, you have one more reason to do it: they are all free. More than four hundred block parties and parades and several official Balls—including an LGBT Ball held each year.

The Carnival Ball

• Famous balls include the Magic Ball at the Copacabana Palace Hotel, one of the most upscale events in the city.
• Awaiting details of upcoming 2024 events.

The Sambadrome

• The Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí is purpose-built specially for the Rio Carnival. The venue is in the downtown area of Cidade Nova, a 25-minute ride from Ipanema.
• The Sambadrome parades are highly organized, with fierce competitions between clubs that develop different themes each year. Young and old, hundreds of Brazilians in official Sumba clubs compete and spend millions on elaborate costumes, entertainers and music. Clubs are complete with drag queens in fabulous outfits.

When do the Carnival Parades Take Place?

• Parades take place on Friday 9th Feb (9.30pm to 2am), Saturday 10th Feb (9.30pm to 4am), Sunday 11th Feb (9.30pm to 2.30am) and Monday 12th Feb, (9.30pm to 2.30am).
• Saturday, 17th Feb – Carnival ends with Saturday night’s Champion’s Parade, essentially the best of Carnival.
• Rio Carnival Sambadrome Tickets can be purchased in advance, with many different options from Grandstand seats to box seating to VIP stands.

Where to stay during Rio Carnival

The following hotels are close to the city’s gay bars and just steps from the gay block parties held during Carnival.

Orla Copacabana Hotel,    Rio Othon Palace,    Atlantis Copacabana Hotel,    Hotel Fasano