the most famous yearly event in rio is the carnival - celebrated annually before lent, carnival in rio de janeiro has been named 'the greatest party on earth.'as both a celebration and a parody of national and cultural identity, this festival merges social self-awareness with music, freedom, and sensuality. one year in the making, rio blissfully comes together for an over-the-top, city-wide, week-long revelry.

in addition to hundreds of street parties called ' blocos,' different samba schools parade the costumes they created, sing, dance, and compete for the title of best in show. an entire section of this guide covers carnival celebrations in  more detail.