Rio&#8217;s on a roll! &#8211; Drone shows street parties and comparsas as millions party in iconic Carnival

Street parties in Rio de Janeiro rolled on Sunday, the third official day of the city’s 2026 Carnival, with revellers filling neighbourhoods and main avenues for another day of music and dancing.

Drone footage shows crowds packing an underpass for an impromptu street party, while nearby, a comparsa in gold costumes was seen moving through the streets.

“Carnival is a magical moment because we can be free, we can dance however we want, everyone can do whatever they want […] There is fantasy, and Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is indescribable, it is indescribable. The best place to be in the world,” said one attendee.

“For me, Carnival is the cure for everything, for everything bad that happened last week and for everything that may happen in the future. Here at Carnival, we cure everything,” said another.

More than 450 comparsas are taking part in Rio Carnival, with organisers expecting around eight million people to join in across the city – split between the samba school parades at the Sambodromo and hundreds of street parties.

Rio de Janeiro City Hall estimates the Carnival could generate about $1 billion in economic impact.

Official Carnival dates run from February 13 to February 21, while the broader season, which includes warm-up events and closing parties, starts on January 17 and concludes on February 22, according to local authorities.

In August 2025, the government of Brazil declared the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro a ‘national cultural manifestation,’ through a law enacted by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The measure seeks to protect the historical and social importance, and the heritage of one of the most emblematic popular festivals in the country and the world.

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