Royal Court Carnaval 2026: King Momo and Queen are elected in Cidade do Samba

The grand final of the Royal Court Contest of the Carnaval 2026 happened on Friday (24), in the Cidade do Samba, and finally, the Court that will represent the carnaval carioca of 2026 is closed! The new King Momo will be Danilo Vieira While your queen will be Caroline Xavier, and together will officially represent Rio's revelry in events, parades and celebrations throughout the coming year. In addition, the Court was complete with the election of the princesses Samara Trinity and Luana Fernandes, which were the second and third placed respectively.

With artistic direction of Milton Cunha and presentation of Wilson Neto King Momo 2022, and Bianca Monteiro The night was filled with great moments for samba lovers. Organized by Riotur with the motto “Celebrating Ancestrality”, the event was an apotheotic celebration of everything that the Rio carnaval has at its root: joy, struggle, art, knowledge and resistance. The new royalty can testify about what it means to represent the greatest feast in the world:

“ Today, I bring with me the strength of Xangô's ancestry and justice, and the essence of great kings who have passed through here: Bola, Alex, Milton and our great Wilton, who wrote great stories," said Danilo Vieira, the youngest King Momo of Rio's carnaval.

"I am a woman who has strength and that my ancestry taught me to be reborn every day. My rebirth says a lot about me, it says a lot about my fresh start and I'm here today ready. I would like to thank the United of Tijuca, for all the welcome, for all the affection. To thank my real friends, my mother and all my family, who are present here tonight. I'm very moved, I'm sorry if I don't have the right words, but that's a virtue of a Sambist. And we have property to talk about and thrill," said Caroline Xavier.

As in other days, the jury was composed of special names: Lucas Padilha, Municipal Secretary of Culture; Aunt Surica, Portela matriarch and legendary samba figure; David Brazil, journalist and personality; Babi Cruz, former Flag Door; Mari Mola, United muse of Father Miguel; Slender Smile, legendary Beis-Flor flag carrier and Chagas, actress and dancer. The president of Riotur was also on the table, Bernardo Fellows, the Vice-President Luís Monsores and the Director of Operations Flavius Teixeira.

Night of many honors. ...and a lot of samba.

Music programming was a sideshow. The Quintal da Magia group, known for its wheels that exalt the samba of roots and the meeting of generations, opened the night with a strong repertoire and a lot of energy, which raised the audience that was there. The Beija-Flor de Nilópolis, the current champion of the carnaval, took all its grandeur to celebrate the tradition of samba schools, and thrilled with the execution of the samba champion of 2025, in honor of its eternal director Laíla. Closing the night, singer Arlindinho, heir to the talent and poetry of Arlindo Cruz, went on stage with a show full of classics and excitement, being part of the beautiful tribute to his father. The “perfect sambista” was part of the night dedicated to its immense musical legacy, fundamental to the even greater popularization of the genre, which has a catalogue of true hymns of Brazilian popular culture.

The other honored of the night was Bira President, legendary founder of the Fundo de Quintal group, which revolutionized samba by adopting instruments that, until then, were little used, but are now mandatory on any wheel. In addition, he also founded the Cacique de Ramos block, one of the most traditional in the city. Both died in 2025.

The two artists, as well as others who left the world recently, were remembered throughout the night in speeches by candidates, jurors, presenters and artists, living up to the theme “Celebrating Diversity”. The contest, which moved hundreds of subscribers, came to an end after six days that gathered great talents, passionate audiences, historical figures and a lot of emotion.

On Thursday (23), the Cidade do Samba was stage of LGBT+ final Carnaval Royal Court Carioca 2026, a night dedicated to the representativeness, joy and strength of the LGBT+ community, which moves the world's largest popular party. In a show that united music, struggle and emotion, the winners were John Smile (Museum), Viviane Carvalho (Musa) and Wend (Non-Binary Person), which will represent the entire history of the movement in the carnaval over the next year.

Now, the winners of this Friday (24) and the last Thursday (23) have a great responsibility at hand, and there is no doubt that they will do a great job representing the culture and traditions of the greatest spectacle on earth.

Check out more information about the Royal Court winners 2026

Danilo Vieira - 30 years old (king)

@danilovieirasambiista

Where he was born: Rio de Janeiro (RJ)

Samba School / community: Willow academics. I'm a resident of Higienópolis.

Your relationship with carnaval: My relationship with carnaval goes far beyond the party. It's a story of love, of surrender and resistance. From an early age I found in samba my true vocation, the space where I can be myself and express all my joy. I am a passist of the Willow Academics, a school I carry with pride in my heart. It was in it that I learned the value of ancestry, art and community, this experience reinforced in me the desire to continue representing the joy of our people. Today, coming to the final of the Carnaval Court competition 2026, I feel that every step I took inside this party has prepared me for this moment. The carnaval is my life, my voice, and the most beautiful way I've found to celebrate who I am and where I come from.

Why did you want to be elected? carnaval is my life. It is through him that I express myself, that I celebrate my ancestry and share joy with the people. To be King Momo is to have the mission of opening the paths of folia with love, respect and authenticity. I want to represent this energy that comes from the streets, communities and samba schools, showing that the true reign is the one born from the heart of the people and vibrates in the drum beat.

Caroline Xavier - 27 years old (Queen)

@elaaxavier

Where he was born: Rio de Janeiro (RJ)

Samba School / community: United Tijuca

Your relationship with carnaval: I have a very loving and caring relationship with the carnaval, which is an explosion of art and culture. It's the moment when everything turns into a great stage, where every fantasy, samba-snake and dance step tells a story.

Why did you want to be elected? I have a lot of love for samba art on my foot and, above all, the will to represent proudly all who make the carnaval happen from the rhythmist to the revelry. I want to be the Queen who inspires, who infects and who carries on this feast with sparkle in her eyes and respect for our roots.

Samara Trinity, 21 years old (1st princess)

@samatrindadde

Where he was born: Rio de Janeiro (RJ)

Samba School / community: Rocinha academics

Your relationship with carnaval: My relationship with carnaval is born from the street, from the batuque and from the strength of my community. Being Rocinha's muse is more than shining on the Avenue, it's carrying stories, memories and voices that echo inside me. The carnaval is the most beautiful way I have found to celebrate who we are, to affirm that our joy is also resistance. It is where body and soul meet to dance our living ancestry.

Why did you want to be elected? To continue a legacy that began long before me. Every step I take is also the step of so many women who have made their way and have shown that it is possible to occupy spaces with courage and truth. As an artist and a woman from the slum, I believe that art and culture have the power to transform realities and light what seemed to be erased. Being elected is to be able to give voice to the favela that creates, thinks, dreams and makes culture every day. And it is in this doing, in this love for what I believe, that I want to follow: an art worker.

Luana Fernandes 20 years (2nd princess)

@euluanafernandess

Where he was born: Rio de Janeiro (RJ)

Samba School / community: Muse of the Independent Youth Community of Father Miguel. Resident of Kennedy Village

Your relationship with carnaval: I've been in love with carnaval since I was very young. I met samba through the street rehearsals of Youth, I was following next to the passist wing and dreaming of one day being there. When I was 10 years old, I joined the Youth Star passerby wing, participated in the social project Steps of the Southwest Zone, was the place where I improved my steps and learned a lot about samba and about life. After a year on the project, I was called to be a passist of Independent Youth. I was a school passer for five years. In 2024, I had the honor of being invited to be a Community Musa, and today, I am fulfilling a dream of representing my Youth and my community of Father Miguel in the competition of the Momesca Court of the carnaval of 2026. The carnaval has always been part of my life — that is where I find myself, express myself and represent my community with love and pride.

Why did you want to be elected? Because I believe that carnaval is more than luster and fantasy — it is resistance, tradition and popular culture. I want to inspire other women in my community to believe in their dreams, showing that with dedication, respect and love for samba, it is possible to get far.

João Vitor (Johnn Smile) – 21 years old

@johnnsorrisoofc

Where he was born: Rio de Janeiro (RJ)

Samba School / community: Portela / Oswaldo Cruz

Relationship with carnaval: I was born and raised in Oswaldo Cruz, birthplace of Portela. The carnaval is part of my essence — the space where I can be who I am with pride, where diversity shines and representativeness gains voice.

Why did you want to be elected? Because I believe in the strength of representativeness. I want to inspire and show that the carnaval is the stage of everyone, where diversity is synonymous with beauty, resistance and pride.

Viviane Carvalho – 40 years old

@vivianeckarvalhoo

Where he was born: Rio de Janeiro (RJ)

Samba School / community: Independent Youth of Father Michael / City of God

Relationship with carnaval: I have a family relationship with carnaval. My father was an interpreter and my uncle was a samba composer. I've been behind the scenes helping my niece, the highlight of the Viradouro.

Why did you want to be elected? I want to show you that our community goes beyond labels. We are powerful, cheerful and able to represent Rio in a beautiful way. When I'm 40, I live in my finest hour and I want to celebrate it as a muse.

Wend – 25 years

Other Organiser

Where he was born: Rio de Janeiro (RJ)

Samba School / community: Willow / Vicente de Carvalho

Relationship with carnaval: I'm a makeup artist, an influencer and a show passer. Samba changed my life and took me to places I never imagined. I was one of the first passists of the Willow diversity.

Why did you want to be elected? To represent my legacy of perseverance and inspire other LGBTQIAPN+ people to conquer their spaces within the samba.