WITH a swirl of glitter, sequins and samba, Rio de Janeiro will kick off its famed carnival parades today, the climax of the festival’s first full-on edition since Covid-19 and Brazil’s bitterly divisive elections.
The world’s biggest carnival, which officially opened Friday, will hit peak party level at the all-night parade competition today and tomorrow, where the city’s top 12 samba schools will vie to become the champions with dazzling floats, thundering music and thousands of singers, drummers and dancers in skimpy, feather-covered costumes.