Image for illustrative purposes only. Portela, 2014. Photo: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil (CC BY 3.0 BR)
The Rio Carnaval Expo Immersive Exhibition invites you to enter the universe of Rio de Janeiro's samba schools and discover the stories, the people, the creativity, and the emotion that make Carnival happen.
Buy your ticketThe greatest show on Earth as you have never experienced it before.Oct 29, 2026 to Jan 26, 2027Cidade do Samba - Gamboa - Rio de Janeiro
Step into the greatest show on Earth
Rio Carnival is made of music, dance, visual arts, ingenuity, memory, and so many people. At Rio Carnaval Expo, you experience this story from the inside.
From the roots of samba to the workshops, from the creation of costumes and floats to the beating heart of the drum section, all the way to the emotion of Sapucaí, the exhibition transforms Carnival into an experience to see, hear, touch, create, dance, and feel.
The project was conceived as a journey uniting memory, emotion, and spectacle, celebrating the origins, cultural power, and artists that make Carnival happen.
Explore the exhibitionCome experience Carnival
Here, you are not just a spectator.
Discover how a parade is born and meet the many hands that turn an idea into a show.
Step into the universe of carnival designers, experiment with colors, shapes, costumes, and discover how a samba school builds its narrative.
Discover the power of the drum sections, try out instruments, and get your body moving to samba.
Feel the warm-up area, step onto the Avenida, and experience the thrill of a parade in a major immersive experience.
In the end, you become part of this story too.
Made by people, for people
Behind every minute on the Avenida lies an entire year of work.
Carnival designers, seamstresses, sculptors, prop makers, blacksmiths, embroiderers, choreographers, percussionists, passistas (samba dancers), directors, and entire communities turn imagination into reality.
Rio Carnaval Expo celebrates the people who make this magic happen and reveals Carnaval as a great collective creation.
Discover Rio's Carnival
An initiative to democratize and expand access to culture.
Discover the stories, characters, wisdom, and behind-the-scenes moments that make samba schools one of the greatest expressions of Brazilian culture.
Explore the digital collectionRio Carnaval Expo
- Location
- Cidade do Samba Rua Rivadávia Corrêa, 60 - Gamboa - Rio de Janeiro
- Season
- Oct 29, 2026 to Jan 26, 2027
- Hours
- Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays: closed
- Tickets
- Starting at R$ 25.00 for full price and R$ 12.50 for half-price ticket.
Carnaval is also knowledge.
History, music, literature, visual arts, dance, technology, popular culture, and memory meet in Carnaval.
Learn about the Rio Carnaval Expo educational program, materials for teachers, and conditions for school and group visits.
Explore the educational program