Carnival time in February 2005 in Rio de Janeiro is over - Brazil - the greatest party on earth!

800 000 tourists visited Rio de Janerio in Brazil during the great arrangement previous year in the period 21 - 24 February 2004. Tourism officials expected this year around 770 000 visitors, with 20% from abroad, for the carnival which ended on Ash Wednesday. So far it`s estimated that 600 000 visited Rio for the carnival 2005.

Also this carnival in Rio in February 2005 was a great success! See photos from this year`s carnival on related links below. The festival was considered to be one of the best organised ever, but also this time the festival was threatened by heavy rain. Fortunately the weather becomes better during the festival.

Carnival celebrations also were held in Salvador, Olinda and Recife in the northeast, and Sao Paulo.

Thirty-thousand police officers were on duty to ensure order in a city often associated with violent crime.

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The highlight of the carnival show was as usual the competition between the samba schools. It`s is popular for foreigners to parade with the schools and learn the theme songs and dances in the weeks before the big party. 

Photos. Some dancers from earlier carnival in Rio (© Brazil Explorerer: www.brazil.de):

Photo. A massive float from the Vila Isabel samba school (from earlier carnival). © Brazil Explorerer: www.brazil.de . The beat of the samba drums has Rio turn the Brazilian into great happiness.

Photo. Dancers show their fantasyful and colourful costumes (from an earlier carnival). © Brazil Explorerer: www.brazil.de . According to reports, Rio's fourteen leading samba schools spent more than ever on costumes and training to win the competition. They did the best they could to impress the crowd of 60,000 at the Sambodromo, as well as millions of TV viewers.

The previous year (2004) winner Beija Flor samba school had to change their plans for plan for their show. Their original plans featured a dancing portrayal of the Passion of Christ shocked Catholic Church officials and was withdrawn before Carnival began.

Photo. Dancing on the float (from an earlier carnival). © Brazil Explorerer: www.brazil.de.

On the final day the city's elite samba schools paraded through the streets. There were fourteen schools, each with about 4,000 participants, in the competition. There is a lot of prestige associated with the top prize and millions of Brazilians around in the country followed the competition on television.

The supermodel Naomi Campbell was in the parade of samba schools on its final night. She danced for the famous Portela samba school. The float was sponsored by the UN to promote its Millennium Campaign against poverty. 

See photos and videofilm from the carnival in Rio de Janeiro 2005 (click on the links below):

BBC pictures Carnival Rio

Copacabana Tudo Carnival

We are sure the Brazilians already have started planning the next years carnival, and we all look forward to it!

Stein Morten Lund, 12 February 2005

Additional information

Read more about the Brazil in general and especial the carnival on the website Brazil Explorer - the ultimate guide about Brazil www.brazil.de.

Other related information sources are:

• Tourist guide for Rio de Janeiro and the incredible carnival at the website: ipanema.com.
• Information about the Rio Carnival: Rio Carnival.
• BBC information about Brazil: General information Brazil.
• BBC information about Rio: BBC Holiday Rio.