River of January ~4~

 

I wondered how Sambadrome was used other than during Carnaval. As stadia go, this is uniquely not circular or oblong but rectangular and quite long instead. Writing this account, I let Google AI answer that for me. I quote the response here.

The Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí is a true multi-purpose venue that stays active throughout the year, far beyond the few days of Carnival parades. [1]

Year-Round Uses

• Education: Underneath the bleachers, the structure houses Escola Municipal Tia Ciata, a public school with 115 classrooms. During the school year, it functions as a normal educational institution, only shifting to Carnival support during the festival.
• Concerts: The "Apotheosis Square" at the end of the runway is a premier venue for major international concerts. It has hosted legendary acts like The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, David Bowie, and Whitney Houston.
• Sports: The venue is used for high-profile sporting events. Most notably, it hosted archery and the marathon finish during the 2016 Summer Olympics.
• Samba Rehearsals: Starting in December, samba schools hold technical rehearsals on the runway to prepare for the main competition. These are often free and open to the public, offering a "mini-Carnival" experience.
• Tourism & Culture: You can visit the Samba Museum located under the arches of Apotheosis Square to see historic costumes and photos. Many city tours also include the empty stadium as a key photo stop year-round. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

I didn't think it was wise to ride an Uber to the show because of road closures. I had specifically booked our accommodation nearby to avoid a long commute back after festivities. I thought going on foot was the best approach. We ended up walking along the middle of a four-laned bridge over train tracks. Vehicles raced away from us on the right and towards us on the left. It was decidedly frightening. We got to an offramp at which a police car stood with several officers regulating traffic. Here we crossed the lanes of fast-moving vehicles and descended beside some of them. The officers paid us no heed. I quietly imagined this scenario playing out in Australia and how completely different the outcome would have been. Fines, warnings, possibly real trouble.

We were not searched very thoroughly at the entrance to Sambadrome. Two small bottles of water and two small snacks (a sandwich or fruit, for example) were permitted. We’d stopped en route to buy such items. Hard coolers, glass, and umbrellas were prohibited. For unreserved seats, like ours, it was recommended to arrive by 7:30pm. We had left our Airbnb at 6:33 and arrived at 7:33. Perfect!

The first school took an hour to complete its parade between the two rows of bleachers. Then the passage was cleaned. The second school also took an hour, followed by the cleaners, followed by the third school. Another three schools were scheduled for the same night, bringing the participants to six large groups.

The parade of each school followed a strict, regulated order. At the head, a small group of roughly 10 to 15 dancers (the “comissão de frente”) dressed in flamboyant costumes led the way with loosely choreographed movements. Next came the “abre-alas”, the school’s massive opening float, displaying the school’s name and mascot. This was colorful and carried multi-level dancers several stories into the air. Trailing this were several “alas” – troupes of ground dancers, each block clad in its own matching, befeathered costumes. Deep within the heart of the procession marched a thunderous “bateria” of over 200 percussionists pounding out the rhythm on massive drums and specialized tambourine-like instruments (“pandeiros” or “chocalhos”:- shakers). A second float, similar in size and carrying a giant animatronic sculpture, came by next, followed by more waves of dancers. Finally, a third float and a final wing of dancers brought up the rear to close out the school’s production.

A fleet of drones filmed from above, some likely keeping watch for law enforcement. Accompanying music sounded folk-Brazilian throughout. I didn’t dislike it, but neither did I like it much. Harmonically, I found it rambling, lacking a tonal center, waffling on with little sense of formal musical structure. Or perhaps I misunderstood it. I also found the groups of dancers somewhat messy. Individuals could clearly dance, but their movements were neither choreographed nor synchronized. Individuals seemed to dance when they felt like it, walk when they felt like it, and wander about within their groups in a way that would not fly in a marching band. Sunny appeared to share my take on it; she checked out after the second school. I managed to last through the third before ultimately relenting.

Since I am rather critical in the previous paragraph, I feel the need to clarify. As mentioned in the introduction to this travelogue, we bought tickets for the early parades. Our chosen day was indeed the first of this year’s Carnaval. We were watching the “Access Group”, also known as the “Série Ouro” or “Gold Series”. These are second-tier schools fighting for promotion to the elite league.

There is a playlist of videos on YouTube entitled RIO CARNAVAL 2026 | CLIPES OFICIAIS.

Coming out of Sambadrome at 3am, a taxi offered us a ride for R$200. Having walked there, we knew how close we were and turned him down. Taxis lined all the streets, ready to pounce on drunk revelers. I’d drunk several small cans but was completely compos mentis. Soon, a different driver offered a ride for R$100. Bargain; we hopped in. Some roads were closed for the event, so it took 10 to 15 minutes. Ready to exit the vehicle, I offered him his fare, at which point he got angry. Turned out ~ and do kindly bear in mind that he spoke no English and we spoke no Portuguese, in hindsight, a stupid way to set a price ~ he wanted US$100! My disbelief was unguarded, and Sunny wanted us to refuse to pay. Driver Dick offered to return us to Sambadrome, but I instantly envisioned being dropped in the middle of a favela and left for dead. I told Sunny it was best not to anger this man, and I paid him the demanded fare, telling him to have a nice life. Back in our Airbnb, I relayed several reports about taxi drivers on our globe, including one I’d witnessed with my own eyes. My goal was to inform Sunny that not everywhere is as safe as Taiwan, and even there, to be wary of taxis.

And that was the fourth day.