King Momo receives key to the city and officially opens the Carnaval of Rio 2026

By delivering, symbolically, the key of the city to King Momo Danilo Vieira, the mayor Eduardo Paes and the deputy mayor Eduardo Cavaliere inaugurate, early on Friday (13/2), the carnaval of 2026 in Rio, beginning the reign of this year's carnival court. The officialization ceremony of the folia in Rio was attended by the entire Royal Court, in the City Palace, in Botafogo, in the South Zone of the municipality.

King Momo, Danilo Vieira, celebrated.

- It's okay. It is with great gratitude, with great honor, that I come to thank the prefeitura do Rio of January for this opportunity to represent all the revelers. I now officially declare the Carnaval of Rio de Janeiro of 2026! - said Vieira.

The ceremony also featured performances of the drums of the Escola de Samba Beija-Flor de Nilópolis, champion of the Carnaval last year, and the band of the Municipal Guard of Rio.

In addition to King Momo, they were present at the Tia Surica ceremony; the Queen of the Carnaval 2026, Caroline Xavier; the Princesses Samara Trindade and Luana Fernandes; and the Court LGBT+ of the carnaval, composed by the muse John Smiles; the muse Viviane Carvalho; and also by the non-binarian citizen Wend. The event was also attended by the Candonga family, guardian of the city key given to King Momo, and representatives of the Associations of the Old Guards of the schools of samba cariocas.