Rio de Janeiro · Samba nights · Carnival 2027
Samba is Rio's sound after dark: drums, feathers and a crowd that dances until late. Watch the costumed show in Botafogo, dance in Lapa or at Pedra do Sal, see a school rehearse or take your Sambódromo seat.
Samba nights
In the centre, Rio's staged samba show: costumes, singers and a short lesson in Botafogo. On the left, the most reviewed night out, with live samba in Lapa; on the right, a real samba school rehearsing for Carnival. Every card opens a full page.
Most reviewed
★ 4.84 hoursFree cancellationA guided night in Lapa: a cachaça bar, a caipirinha under the arches, live samba where locals dance, and a club to finish, with skip-the-line entry.
The samba show
★ 4.61 hour 30 minutesFree cancellationRio's staged samba show: feathered costumes, live singers and Brazil's folk dances from north to south, with a short samba lesson before the curtain and photos with the dancers after.
Real rehearsal
★ 5.05 hoursFree cancellationJoin the crowd at a real samba school's rehearsal before Carnival: Salgueiro's drum section, its dancers and baianas, with hotel pickup, a guide and a shared table.
Street samba
★ 4.52 hours 30 minutes
Class + night out
★ 4.85 hours
Lowest price
★ 4.91 hour
Year-round
★ 4.71 hour 30 minutes
Tourist sector
★ 4.76 hours
With transfer
★ 4.68 hours
Parade yourself
★ 4.66 hoursCompare
"Samba show" covers four different nights: a staged show with costumes, a real samba night with locals, a samba school rehearsal, or the Carnival parade itself. Check which one you are booking, what it includes and when it runs.
| Night | Where | What it is | Best for | Length | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ginga Tropical Samba and Folklore Show | Centro Cultural Veneza, Av. Pasteur 184, Botafogo | Staged show with a short samba lesson | Costumes and dancers on stage | 1 hour 30 minutes | $74 | Book |
| Lapa Pub Crawl with Cachaça and Live Samba | Av. Mem de Sá 110, Lapa | Real samba bars, cachaça, a club | A night out with locals | 4 hours | $33 | Book |
| Salgueiro Samba School Rehearsal with Transfer | Pickup in the South Zone and Centro | A real school's Saturday rehearsal | Carnival energy before Carnival | 5 hours | $80 | Book |
| Pedra do Sal Live Samba Night with a Drink | R. Sacadura Cabral 75, Saúde | Open-air roda de samba, 1 drink | Samba where it was born | 2 hours 30 minutes | $41 | Book |
| Samba Class, Then a Live Samba Night | Copacabana studio (Ipanema on Mondays) | 1-hour class, then a samba club | Learn first, then dance | 5 hours | $48 | Book |
| Ipanema Beginner Samba Lesson with Photos | R. Visconde de Pirajá 207, Ipanema | Class with Carnival dancers, photos | The lowest price | 1 hour | $24 | Book |
| Carnival Backstage Tour at Samba City | Cidade do Samba, Gamboa | Float workshop, costumes, caipirinha | Carnival any month | 1 hour 30 minutes | $29 | Book |
| Carnival 2027 Sambódromo Ticket, Sector 9 | Sambódromo, R. Marquês de Sapucaí | Numbered seat, the tourist sector | Carnival with a numbered seat | 6 hours | $130 | Book |
| Carnival 2027 Sambódromo Ticket with Transfer | Pickup in Copacabana, Ipanema or Leblon | Grandstand ticket, round trip, hosts | Carnival without the transport worry | 8 hours | $747 | Book |
| Parade with a Samba School in Costume | Meeting point in Copacabana | Costume, make-up, you march | Parading yourself | 6 hours | $444 | Book |
Most options cancel free up to 24 hours before; the Samba City tour and the sector 9 ticket are non-refundable, as their cards show. The pub crawls are for adults 18 and over.
The Sambódromo
Oscar Niemeyer designed the Sambódromo for the Carnival parades in 1984: a 700-metre stretch of Rua Marquês de Sapucaí with grandstands on both sides and the arch of the Apoteose square at the end. Each school brings its floats, its costumed wings and its drum section down the avenue in a little over an hour.
In 2027 the twelve schools of the Grupo Especial parade on 7, 8 and 9 February, four a night, and compete for the title Viradouro won in 2026. The six best come back for the Champions' Parade on 13 February.
Top samba schools, four a night, on 7, 8 and 9 February 2027.
A staged show, a bar night, a rehearsal or the parade.
Drinks, a lesson, a transfer or a seat: each card says.
Shows all year, rehearsals before Carnival, the parade in February.
Free up to 24 hours before on most; two are non-refundable.
The night
Most samba nights start in the evening and run late. Here is how a typical one goes.
A guide in Lapa or the port, a studio in Copacabana, or a van from your hotel.
EveningThe basic samba step, a cachaça tasting or a caipirinha to warm up.
Warm-upDrums, cavaquinho and singers, on a stage, in a bar or in the street.
The musicJoin the crowd, then a club, a ride back or one more song.
The best partPlan your night
Show or samba night, Carnival 2027, the rehearsal season and getting back safely: one tab each.
Where it is
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The samba nights gather around the Lapa Arches and the old port, a short ride from Copacabana. The show is in Botafogo, the classes are in Copacabana and Ipanema, and the Sambódromo is by Praça Onze metro station.
Around your night
When to go, what guests wish they had known, what is nearby and the fine print.
Guest reviews
★★★★★A brilliant show with a lot of rhythm and an excellent dance troupe that gets the audience going, who end up dancing with the performers. Highly recommended.
★★★★★Fantastic evening. In Rio for work all alone, was a perfect way to meet some likeminded people and dance! Raffa, Lucas, and Isa were all phenomenal guides, knowledgable and inclusive. 10/10 would recommend.
★★★★★An evening of lots of samba, carnival and joy. The Bateria Furiosa drumline was amazing. Pleasant and safe atmosphere.
★★★★★Matheus our guide was so welcoming and spoke really passionately about the roots of Samba and it's meaning in Rio. He made us feel safe and relaxed and ready for a party!
★★★★★Marco was great and so much fun. He taught us the basic samba moves for an hour then we went to a samba club with live music the atmosphere was great and so much fun.
★★★★★Superb experience in Rio! Our teacher was phenomenal and taught us samba steps in such a simple manner. Couldn't believe how much better we were by the end of the class. Highly recommend!
★★★★★The highlight of my Rio trip. Educational, fun and engaging.
★★★★★Was a great experience we took pictures with the dancers. The show was awesome from beginning to end. The clases was fun. It was worth it.
★★★★★Raffa was the best guide! We felt safe, had fun and made great friends! Raffa gave us a little samba lessons! Drinks were great and vibes were immaculate!
Before you go out
The cheapest warm-up in Rio: mix two caipirinhas, then an hour of samba in Copacabana before the night begins.
Warm up for a night out in Copacabana. You mix and drink two caipirinhas with the hostel's bar team, then take an hour of samba with a professional teacher and finish with a cachaça shot. DJs play on Tuesdays.
2 caipirinhasSamba classFree cancellation
The guide
A show, a street circle, a school hall or the Sambódromo: four ways to hear the same drums.
Samba is the sound of Rio after dark, and the best of it happens in places a visitor would not find alone: a bar in Lapa with a live band, a square in the old port where the musicians sit around one table, a school hall where the whole community sings the new Carnival song. A guided night or a show gets you there, and back.
Guests say the same thing: they felt safe, met people from everywhere, and danced more than they planned to.
For costumes and dancers on a stage, with a seat and a short lesson, the Ginga Tropical show is our pick. For the real thing with locals, the Lapa pub crawl is the most reviewed night out on this site, and the Pedra do Sal night takes you to the open-air samba circle in Little Africa. Before Carnival, Salgueiro's rehearsal is the closest you get to the parade without a ticket.
The twelve top schools parade at the Sambódromo on Sunday 7, Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 February 2027, four a night. Liesa, the league that runs the parade, sells grandstand seats from R$250 a night on Ticketmaster; the sector 9 seats for tourists are sold through travel agencies, and a numbered seat there starts at $130 here.
Light clothes, flat shoes and a little cash. At the Sambódromo, Liesa allows two 500 ml plastic bottles and two food items; coolers, glass and cans stay outside. For the pub crawls, bring ID: they are for adults 18 and over.
Guides
In-depth guides to samba nights, rehearsals and Carnival 2027 in Rio. See all guides.
Best samba show in RioStaged show, Lapa, Pedra do Sal, a rehearsal or the parade: which samba night suits you, with times and prices.
Samba school rehearsals in RioThe Saturday rehearsals at the school halls, the Salgueiro night with a transfer and the free January rehearsals at the Sapucaí.
Rio Carnival 2027 parade orderWhich school parades on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, why there are three nights, and how to pick yours.
Sambódromo tickets 2027Grandstands, frisas, camarotes and sector 9: official 2027 prices, where to buy, half-price rules and what to bring.
How to parade in Rio CarnivalCostume packages, commercial wings, what it costs and what it is like to march the Sambódromo with a school.
Lapa and Pedra do Sal samba nightsThe Lapa Arches, the Selarón Steps and the Monday samba circle in Little Africa: which night to go and how to get back.From the blog
The Carnival 2027 dates, the free rehearsals and the 2026 results. All posts.
Rio Carnival 2027 datesFive nights at the Sambódromo, the 2027 order of the 12 top schools, the Champions' Parade, the free rehearsals before it and the seats still on sale.
Technical rehearsals 2027Four free January nights on the Sambódromo avenue: the 2027 calendar, which school comes when, the Lavagem da Sapucaí and how it compares with a quadra rehearsal.
Rio Carnival 2026 resultsA perfect score for Viradouro, a tie for second, a school relegated and União de Maricá promoted: the 2026 result and how it shapes the 2027 nights.FAQ
Straight answers to what people ask most about samba shows and Carnival in Rio.
Carnival runs from Friday 5 to Ash Wednesday 10 February 2027. The top samba schools parade at the Sambódromo on Sunday 7, Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 February, and the six best return for the Champions' Parade on Saturday 13 February. More in the Carnival 2027 dates.
Sunday: União de Maricá, Beija-Flor, Paraíso do Tuiuti and Vila Isabel. Monday: Mocidade, Unidos da Tijuca, Salgueiro and Imperatriz. Tuesday: Portela, Viradouro, Grande Rio and Mangueira. See the parade order.
Twelve schools are in the Grupo Especial, the top league, and each needs a little over an hour on the avenue. The parade is now spread over three nights, four schools a night, and each night runs from the evening until around dawn.
Liesa sells grandstand seats in sectors 2 to 11 for R$250 a night, or R$125 half price, on Ticketmaster. Frisas, open boxes for six at the track edge, cost R$1,835 to R$10,200 a night. A numbered seat in sector 9, the tourist sector, starts at $130. More in Sambódromo tickets.
All three nights are the top league, so any of them is the real thing. Tuesday has the 2026 champion Viradouro and Mangueira; Monday has Salgueiro and Imperatriz. Arriving late? The Champions' Parade on Saturday 13 February shows the six best.
On this site, a costume package with a samba school starts at $444 with the costume, make-up and transport to the Sambódromo. You need to be 18 or over and able to walk the whole avenue. See how to parade.
Yes, all year. The Ginga Tropical show plays three nights a week in Botafogo, Lapa has live samba in its bars every weekend, and the samba schools rehearse on weekend nights in the months before Carnival.
At the school's own hall. Salgueiro's rehearsal runs on Saturday nights from July, with pickup. In January the top schools also hold free technical rehearsals at the Sambódromo: 23, 24, 30 and 31 January 2027.
The Rio Carnival. It is often called the biggest Carnival in the world, with street parties all over the city and the samba school parades at the Sambódromo, the avenue Oscar Niemeyer designed in 1984.
Lapa, under the white arches, for samba bars and clubs. Pedra do Sal in the old port for an open-air samba circle, busiest on Monday nights, guests say. The Lapa pub crawl is the most reviewed way in.
Not under 5: a court ruling sets 5 as the minimum age, and children pay from that age. Under-16s must be with an adult. For younger children, the Ginga Tropical show or the Samba City tour are easier.
Liesa allows two 500 ml plastic bottles of water, juice, soda or beer and two food items, like fruit or a sandwich. Coolers, glass, cans, bags, weapons, sharp objects, flares and fireworks stay out. Gates open at 7 PM.
Ready to book
Samba nights in Rio from $24.
More: the Salgueiro rehearsal · the Pedra do Sal night · a Carnival 2027 seat
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