Rio Carnival: schedule of samba school parades and tickets available

 Foto: Pedro Kirilos, Riotur

It's that time of the year again: Carnival in Rio starts today, with the parades of the top samba schools. Here is the official schedule (to see it larger, click on the image).

Not sure what samba school parades actually are? Well, here's a Rio Carnival 101, taken from the city's official Carnival website, done by the Samba School League (LIESA):

SAMBA SCHOOLS PARADE

Where:
Passarela do Samba Professor Darcy Ribeiro, better known as the Sambódromo
Rua Marquês de Sapucaí, Praça Onze, Cidade Nova

WHO TAKES PART IN THE PARADE:

SAMBA SCHOOLS IN THE SPECIAL GROUP
The best parades of all, these are the epitome what Rio Carnival is all about. Six schools parade on Sunday, and the other six, on Monday (full schedule above).  The schools belonging to this group, affiliated to the Liga Independente das Escolas de Samaba do Rio de Janeiro, are specially magnificent and sumptuous, each containing approximately five thousand participants plus famous Brazilian show-business and jet-set personalities atop incredibly ornate floats.

*A* GROUP SAMBA SCHOOLS
These schools, affiliated to the Leags of the Group a samba Schools, form the Grupo de Acesso.
They are 10 large and important schools that parade on the Saturday. The champion of this parade ascends to the Special Group.

*B* GROUP SAMBA SCHOOLS
They are also called base groups, as they are the popular bases from which the big schools originated. Small, each school having approximately one thousand and five hundred participants, they nevertheless parade with much enthusiasm.

CHAMPIONS’ SATURDAY
On the Saturday after carnaval, the winners of the Special Group parade again.

Types of tickets available to the public

BOXES

Private spaces rentable for the whole festivities, including the Champions’ Saturday, subdivided in:
Special Boxes – Four buildings between sectors 3, 5, 7 and 9 holding up to 24 spectators in A Boxes and 20 in B Boxes, in a total of 40 boxes holding up to 880 spectators.
Boxes in sectors 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 4 – 24 boxes per sector, in a total of 144 boxes holding up to 1,728 spectators.
Boxes in Sector 2 – There are three storeys divided in 1st floor - A,2nd floor - B and 3rd floor - C, each box holding 12 spectators. The three storeys adding to a total of 306 boxes for 3,672 apectators.
Daily capacity of the boxes - 6,280 people.

DRESS CIRCLE
Uncovered boxes with walls and chairs for six occupants each, in sectors 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 4, in a total of 1,094 holding up to 6,564 spectators. Uncovered boxes with walls for 4 people, in sectors 06 and 13, in a total of 68 boxes, holding up to 272 for each night of the parade.

INDIVIDUAL CHAIRS
3.900 Chairs are placed on steps in sectors 6 and 13.

TIERS OF SEATS
Uncovered spaces up to 15,80 m high, reached by stairs.
Sectors 3,5, 7 and 11, each sitting 2,850 spectators,Sector 4, holding up to 2,750 spectators, Sector 9 - numbered seats hold up to 2,304 spectators, in a total of 16,454 spectators.


POPULAR TIERS OF SEATS
Sector 1 – in the area where the schools organize themselves for the parade; Sectors 6 and 13 – at Praça da Apoteose from where the end of the parade can be seen. Sector 1 holds up to 6,500 spectators and Sectors 6 and 13 up to 9,600 each, in a total of 25,700 spectators.