Sultry samba rhythms: Carnival in Rio de Janeiro 2024 (35 photos + 2 videos)
The annual carnival has started in Brazil. The festive column showcases samba performances, as well as stunning costumes and decorations. Thousands of artists compete for the coveted title of champions and a substantial cash prize. 
Rio de Janeiro has been hosting colorful street parties known as "blocos" for weeks. The 700-meter-long Sambodrome street, built to host the festival, attracted 70,000 spectators, with millions more glued to the screens.
Every favela in Rio has a samba school, and they are the ones who participate in the carnival. Teams tell their story, often relating to politics, social issues and history. They have 60 to 70 minutes to dazzlingly walk 700 meters along Marques de Sapucay Street and impress the jury. 
"Queen of the Drums" Viviana Araujo performs for the Salgueiro dance school 
Participant of Porto da Pedra. Her team lost precious points after a couple of incidents: the decoration caught on a metal fence, dragging the grate behind it and injuring a woman 
Representatives of the school Sama Salgueiro 
Salgueiro school performance 
Participants of Beija-Flor in the early morning of February 12 
"Queen of the Drums" Paola Oliveira from the Grande Rio samba school at the Sambodrome 
12 schools are participating in the procession 
Members of Imperatriz Leopoldinense 
Samba school Unidos da Tijuca 
Imperatriz Leopoldinense in colorful outfits
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Dancer from Imperatriz Leopoldinense in a revealing angel costume 
Unidos da Tijuca performance 
Performers from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school 
The jury evaluates each performance down to the smallest detail; points are deprived for desynchronization and lack of skill. 
Presentation of Unidos da Tijuca 
Giant pink unicorn of Unidos da Tijuca school 
Organizing a show with the participation of 3,000 artists, and even creating large-scale decorations, is a difficult task. Samba schools spend the whole year preparing 
Imperatriz Leopoldinense show 
Unidos da Tijuca representatives perform during the first night parade 
Participants of the samba school Imperatriz Leopoldinense youstep under the soaring "Moon" 
The Sambodrome was designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1984 
Artists from the Grande Rio samba school perform at the Sambodrome 
"Lizard" Imperatriz Leopoldinense 
Porto da Pedra on the first evening of the festival on February 11 
Artists of Unidos da Tijuca. Samba is a symbol of Brazilian national identity 
Unidos da Tijuca on a golden platform 
Ensemble Unidos da Tijuca 
Participants of the Porto da Pedra samba school before a performance 
An artist from the Bolo Doido team and his child prepare for a parade on one of the streets in the Deodoro district. Carnival is big business for Rio. This year the holiday will bring in at least 3 billion reais
