Carnaval balance sheet 2026 - 14/02

Eight samba schools close Gold Series parades in Sapucaí

The Carnaval of Rio goes full steam and, this Saturday (14), the Marquis of Sapucaí was the stage of the last day of parades of the schools of the Gold Series. Eight associations performed at Passarela do Samba: Botafogo Samba Clube, Em Cima da Hora, Arranco do Engenho de Indoor, Imperio Serrano, Estacio de Sá, União de Maricá, Porto da Pedra and União da Ponte, ending a night marked by thematic diversity, emotion and great shows.

Altogether, 15 schools compete for the Golden Series title and a position in the Special Group. Each year, the associations are dedicated intensely to conquer the public and the judges, in search of a place among those that parade from Sunday to Tuesday in Sapucaí.

With about half an hour late, the Botafogo Samba Club began the second day of the Gold Series parade. The association honored the landscaper and plastic artist Roberto Burle Marx and fancied the colorful costumes. Soon after, the Em Cima da Hora, a club of the neighborhood of Cavalcante, in the North Zone of Rio, saluted the strength of women in the plot “Save All Marys, Laroyê PombaGiras”.

On the other hand, the Arranco do Engenho de Inside, the third group to pass through the avenue, honored the first black clown in Brazil, Maria Eliza Alves dos Reis. The school was attended by the granddaughter of the honored woman, Mariana Gabriel, known as the Birota clown, who was featured in the last float.

The Serrano Empire led to the Sambódromo the writings of Conceição Evaristo, one of the greatest references in Brazilian literature. With the strength of its drums marked by the agogos, the school made a beautiful parade, which was mainly worth the presence of the writer, who was the highlight of the Abra-alas and was greeted throughout the avenue.

With a parade of strong religious symbolism and community identity, the traditional Estacio de Sá presented the plot “Tata Tancredo – O Papa Negro no Terreiro do Estacio”. The school has built a vibrant homage, which has exalted ancestry, faith and cultural resistance throughout the entire presentation.

The Maricá Union presented the plot “Berenguendéns and Balangandãs”, exploring with aesthetic and historical richness the adornments and symbols linked to the culture of Bahia and the Afro-Brazilian heritage. At the exit of the last car from the club, a man was hit by the allegory and rescued by the firefighters, attended and stabilized at the medical station of the Municipal Health Department, in Apotheosis. With severe fracture to the right leg, he was transferred to Souza Aguiar Municipal Hospital. Two other boys had minor injuries and were taken by stretchers to the post, one of them having been attended and released, and the other sent to Miguel Couto Municipal Hospital for further examinations. Because of what happened, the school exceeded 55 minutes.

One of the highlights of the night, the United of Porto da Pedra, from São Gonçalo, dedicated the parade to sex workers, with the proposal to give visibility to the discussion on women's rights and humanization. The United of the Bridge, which closed the parades of the Gold Series in 2026, exalted the black roots of Rio, with the plot “Tambor – Rio's a ball! Power is black!”.

Enredo Blocks of Group 1 open parades on the Magellan Intendant Road

Na Intendant Road Magellan, thousands of people accompanied the first day of parades of the Blocks of Enredo Group 1. They passed the “popular samba bird” this Saturday: Booze But Don't Fall, Empire of Gramacho, Will Barbar? Never!, Cometas do Bispo, União do Alto da Boa Vista, União da Ponte, Novo Horizonte, Renascer de Vaz Lobo, União do Bandeirantes and Do Barriga.
The programming in the region follows with the Silver Series parades, which take place on Sunday and Monday of Carnaval, continuing the show and keeping the avenue as one of the main samba stages in the city.

Na Chile Avenue, the Bira Presidente circuit celebrated the tradition of Group 2 Blocks of Enredo, with parades of Quilombo da Baixada, Resistants of Lapa, United Youth of Manguariba, Roots of Tijuca, Friends of Tinguá, Mine Youth, China, Diamond and Independent of New America.

The music programming also cheered the audience on Samba's Earthling, with shows by Juninho Thybau, Roda de Samba do Beco do Rato, David Lent, Gamadinho and Pedro Menezes, besides the sound of FM The Day. This Sunday (15), Vitinho and Rugão are the main attractions that go up to the stage to pack the audience with lots of samba and pagoda.

Blocks move over 500,000 people in the street carnaval

This Saturday, about 56 blocks paraded through the streets of Rio. The highlight was the traditional Black Ball Cordon, which attracted about 500,000 revelers to the Black Megablock circuit Gil in the Center. Clusters such as Heaven on Earth, Ipanema Band and Scavenger also moved crowds.

The program continues until February 22 and can be consulted in the application Blocks of Rio 2026 and the official website www.carnavalderua.rio.
On Sunday (15), four schools of the Special Group take over the Marquis de Sapucaí: Academics of Niterói, Empress Leopoldinense, Portela and Mangueira. On the other hand, the Silver Series schools begin their parades at Intendente Magalhães, while the blocks of packing
They keep cheering up Chile Avenue. At the Centre, the traditional Cineland Ball completes the program.

Folly Images

At www.carnaval.rio you will find news about everything that involves the world of Rio's Carnaval and samba.
The photos of the Carnaval of Rio (Gold Series, Enredo Blocks, Intendente Magalhães, Terreirão shows and street blocks) are available in Riotur Flickr.