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The Sambodromo of Rio de Janeiro

The Sambodromo in Rio de Janeiro

The Sambódromo del Marquês de Sapucaí is a stadium built to seat visitors during the annual Samba Parade. It has an avenue where the artists parade during the competition. The Sambodromo was designed in 1984 by the renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer. The avenue is 700 meters long and is a permanent parade track. Of course, the Sambodromo in Rio de Janeiro is a must-see when you visit the “cidade maravilhosa”.

The Sambodromo: a bit of history and architecture

During the Carnival days the traditional Brazilian festivity is celebrated, an event that takes place every year in the different sambadromes of the country. One of them is the Rio de Janeiro Sambadrome (originally called “Passarela Professor Darcy Ribeiro”), designed by Oscar Niemeyer and made up of a 700-meter long walkway and a dispersal area for groups. The walkway is located on Avenida Marqués de Sapucaí in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Most of the road is in the center of the city but its final part, after Salvador de Sá Avenue, belongs to the Cidade Nova neighborhood. Its interesting story, after the jump.

Niemeyer returned to Brazil in the 1980s, at the beginning of the political opening, when the government of João Figueiredo granted amnesty to the exiles. At that time, the anthropologist Darcy Ribeiro, a friend of Niemeyer, was vice coordinator of Brizola, a former exile and governor of Rio de Janeiro elected in 1982.

To consolidate the educational and cultural projects of Darcy Ribeiro, Niemeyer designed the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, which was built in record time for the 1984 carnival, during four months of work. According to Niemeyer’s page, the project sought to return the parade to the people, leaving the ground floor of the bleachers free to allow views from the outside. On the one hand, the structure consists of 6 blocks arranged 30 meters apart, in order to generate popular squares. On the other, a large block of cabins that continues to the end of the Brahma building (already demolished). The only project in the world of its type, it provides the city with permanent urban equipment for the exhibition of the traditional show. Inaugurated in 1984, it marked the beginning of the samba school parades on the two-night system. Its structure in precast concrete elements is about 700 meters long, and before the reform, it had a capacity for 60,000 people.

At the end of the walkway, the stands separate to create a large plaza called Apotheosis, where the Samba Museum and the large stage are also located – which opens onto the plaza and the Rua Frei Taza Museum. The composition is completed by a large arc that marks the end of the show.

The design allows other uses during the year: schools, kindergartens, health centers, craft workshops, etc. And the square as the scene of great cultural and social events in the city.

The Sambodromo is completed

Twenty-seven years after its construction, the Sambadrome underwent major changes through the reforms carried out for the 2016 Olympic Games. The work, which began shortly after the 2011 Carnival, had about 600 workers who alternated in shifts, keeping the works running 24 hours a day. The reform increased the number of seats to 78,000. To allow the construction of new bleachers, the entire building of the old Brahma factory was imploded, adding a new block with four modules of bleachers and boxes, including areas for the installation of public toilets, medical centers, security room, areas of service and a space for the jury. The reform had the support of Niemeyer.

The facility, which comfortably accommodates people with reduced mobility, has expanded the number of stalls, from 1,094 to 1823. In addition, existing facilities were renovated through structural repair and painting of all sectors, renovation of the museum and the stage of the Plaza de la Apotheosis, at the end of the Sambadrome.

Where is the Sambodromo located?

The Rio de Janeiro Sambadrome is located in the Cidade Nova neighborhood. It was designed by the architect Oscar Niemeyere as I told you and was inaugurated in 1984. It is one of the largest spaces for large outdoor events in the city. It is used mainly in the carioca carnival parades. It was built and inaugurated during the municipal administration of Governor Leonel Brizola. This sambadrome is 550 meters long, over which each school parades for approximately one hour and twenty minutes, with 15-minute breaks between each school. It is close to the Praça Onze Metro station. Check the following map to see where is the Sambodrome located in Rio de Janeiro:

The Carnival in the Sambodromo of Rio de Janeiro

No event is as spectacular and lively as the Rio Carnival. Thousands of tourists visit Rio for 5 nights of revelry that reaches its climax the day before Ash Wednesday of the Christian calendar of Lent. Although the character of Rio de Janeiro is closely linked to the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, the center of the celebrations is the Sambadrome, where the atmosphere is more than electrifying, a place where singing and dancing are contagious.

With an ever-growing crowd of visitors, the Rio Sambadrome gained a new look. Four new structures were built to give more comfort to the more than 80,000 spectators that the stadium hosts each night.

The bleachers are the cheapest tickets in the Sambadrome, except in Sector 9, which is known as the tourist sector. The bleachers offer a wide view of the samba floor. There are no chairs, people settle on the large concrete steps of the grandstands.

The grandstands or bleachers are elevated in order to offer spectators an excellent view of the samba parade. While each school passes the track, spectators in the stands can enjoy the parade as a group.

Where to go in the Sambodromo? Tips for the Grandstands

Find here some tips to see where to buy tickets in the Sambodromo, what are the best seats and differences:

• Sectors 2, 4, 6 and 8 are the most recent grandstands.
• The best sounds of the percussion band can be heard in sectors 9 and 11.The drum niche is located between these sectors, where the fascinating sounds of samba reach a crescendo. For tourists, Sector 9 is the ideal place to enjoy the sights and sounds of samba.
• Sectors 10, 11 and 13 have their advantages. Spectators can see the full length of the track and enjoy all the wings of the samba schools in unison, as they make their way down the parade track.
• Tickets for Sector 9 are generally reserved for sale to tourists. This is the only grandstand sector with numbered spaces.

Sector 12 of the Sambadrome has numbered seats. Tickets for this sector are among the most affordable. They are ideal for those who want to sit comfortably and have a place without having to pay a higher price compared to the box seats. These towns are located at the end of the track, near the Apotheosis, the place where the samba schools meet after their parade.

Placed in a “theater” fashion, they ensure an unlimited view of the parade while seated. Of course, not many spectators remain seated when listening to the heady sounds of samba.

The Sambodromo: VIP areas

Among the most privileged seats in the Sambadrome are the open boxes or frisas. Located next to the track in sectors 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, (marked in red in the graphic) the boxes have a capacity for 6 people. They are arranged in four rows: A, B, C and D.

• Sectors 02, 04, 06 and 08 are the new sectors with open boxes.
• Row A is the closest to the samba floor, where you can feel the pulsing beat of the drums through your entire body.
• Seats in each row are located on reclined steps so that spectators have an unlimited view of the samba schools parading down the track.
• Since the friezes are at a lower level, taking pictures of the entire samba floor is restricted compared to the grandstands.
• Although the banners have 6 seats each, the tickets are sold individually. If you are not in a group, you can still enjoy the company of other people in your box.

Where to buy tickets for the Carnival in the Sambodromo?

Just contact us! Email us at info@ripioturismo.com and we will assist you with the tickets for the Carnival. It´s very important to buy the tickets in advance

Check activities available in Rio de Janeiro

We have a complete list of activities and excursions to enjoy Rio de Janeiro. One of these activities is the Carnival Experience, to learn more about the amazing Carnival of Rio de Janeiro

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