Brazil’s annual Carnival is in full swing with festivities beginning Friday and continuing well into Ash Wednesday. As locals take to the streets to participate in the massive parades, visitors from across the world came down to the country to engage in the larger-than-life party.
Dating back to the 1700s, the festival originated when Portuguese immigrants from nearby islands took to throwing mud and food at each other, leading to large-scale chaos, according to Rio’s official website.
The Carnival now features large groups of people who come together with samba schools to dress up in elaborate costumes for parades and balls that attract over two million people every day. Cities like Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Vitoria see large-scale celebrations with crowds singing and dancing as they walk down the streets.
Sao Paulo’s carnival usually takes place on the Friday and Saturday night when the country’s business capital sees a massive influx of people making their way down the main city avenue.
Rio de Janeiro’s carnival is held on Sunday and Monday night. This year, the ceremony faced a delay of over two hours as the crowds waited for Mayor Marcelo Crivella. The mayor was not able to make it to the Sambodromo stadium, because of his wife’s health, reports said. The Carnival is expected to generate an estimated $1 billion in revenue for the city of Rio.
While millions have already taken part in the parades and rallies over the weekend, the numbers are expected to swell further on the last two nights of the country’s largest celebration on Monday and Tuesday night.
See pictures and videos from Brazil’s iconic Carnival, which brings together music, dance and color, below:
A performer dances during Beija Flor performance at the Rio Carnival at Sambodromo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb. 26, 2017. Photo: Getty Images/Raphael Dias
A reveler from Vila Isabel samba school performs during the carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb. 27, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Pilar Olivares
A performer dances during Beija Flor performance at the Rio Carnival at Sambodromo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb. 26, 2017. Photo: Getty Images/Raphael Dias
A performer dances during Beija Flor performance at the Rio Carnival at Sambodromo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb. 26, 2017. Photo: Getty Images/Raphael Dias
A reveler parades for the Aguia de Ouro samba school during the carnival in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Feb. 25, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker
Revelers parade for the Mancha Verde samba school during the carnival in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Feb. 25, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker
A reveler parades for the Imperio da Casa Verde samba school during the carnival in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Feb. 26, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker
Drum queen Cris Vianna from Imperatriz samba school performs during the carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Feb. 27, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Sergio Moraes
A reveler parades for the Imperio da Casa Verde samba school during the carnival in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Feb. 26, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker Drum queen Sabrina Sato from Vila Isabel samba school performs during the carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb. 27, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Pilar Olivares
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