Often travellers would think that the huge Carnival parades you see in Rio happen to be around the streets of the city. Even though that’s what would happen in other cities around the world, in Rio de Janeiro the main Carnival parades take place inside the Sambadrome.
The massive structure holding the beauty of 90’000 people used to be a stretch of road which has been converted into a 700m catwalk where the biggest Carnival parades in the world happen. Every year, for the short period of 5 days, the Sambadrome becomes a “ring” for all Samba schools where to show their best and be nominated the best.
Obviously, pretty much every traveller who happens to visit Rio (check our Essential Guide to Rio) wishes to see the parades but choosing the tickets and times to attend this huge event can be a bit tricky. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of your carnival parades from the best seat!
Sectors of the Sambadrome
The Sambadrome of Rio is divided into 13 major sections all lined up on either side of the catwalk. Sectors ranging from 2 to 11 also have two other variants being A and B (e.g. 2, 2A & 2B), which offer different seating options. Contrarily, sectors 1-12-13 offer less options since they’re located at the end of the catwalk.
Additionally, sectors 2-11 also have some rows of seats right next to the catwalk which could be considered the “premium” seats given the vicinity to the parade. Check the map below for more details!
Seating Options
As mentioned already, there are various seating or ticket options depending on positions and services offered.
The cheapest seating option is the Arquibancadas (Grandstands) which are the bleachers located at the top of each sector. Without a doubt from here you can enjoy the best views over the whole parade and some great local atmosphere. Apart from Sector 9, in all the other sectors there are no allocated seats but its all just a first-come-first-served basis.
The next option is the Cadeiras (Allocated Chairs) which are only located in sectors 12 and 13, just below the Grandstands. These chairs are right next to the catwalk but given their overall location in the sambadrome are a cheaper version of similar options. Here’s the best seats if you want to see who’s behind all the samba costumes the paraders are wearing!
Then there are the Frisas (Front Boxes) which are similar to the Cadeiras but are available from sector 2-11. Similarly to the Cadeiras, you find yourself right in the heart of the action, literally just a few steps away from the parade itself. Each box is made up of 6 seats and you can pre-book the exact seat of you preference.
The last and most expensive option is the Camarotes (Luxury Boxes). Located between the Arquibancadas and Frisas from here you can enjoy a beautiful view of the parade from the comfort of indoors. Buying this ticket not only includes a “seat” but also waiting service, a buffet and even an open bar. Some VIPs suites are usually given out to important companies, sponsors or people of interest to give them a unique level of privacy.
Image copyrighted by ©CarnivalTravelGroup
Price Variations & Events
Telling you right off the bat how much a ticket for the Carnival costs it’s not that easy. On top of which seating options you decide to take, there’s also another factor influencing the price: type of event.
During the carnival, the first two days during the Preliminary Parades, prices are the cheapest, then follow the Champions Parade (which is the last day of Carnival) and lastly the Main Parade where prices are the highest.
On a general basis, you could give an estimate price list as following. Grandstands (20-60€), Allocated Chairs (90€), then Front Boxes (40-450€) and lastly VIP Boxes (450€+).
NOTE: Usually travellers book the tickets in advance due to the huge demand for such an event. Nevertheless, it is possible to buy tickets on the same day (apart from the VIP lounges), right at the Sambadrome, and the price can be lower that what we’ve listed. Imagine that we got two Grandstand tickets on the same day for just 15€/ticket!!!
Even Rain doesn’t stop the parade!!!
Best Sectors vs. Price
As obvious as it can be, the central sectors are the most expensive ones, especially those closer to the judge panel, and for that reason considered to be the best. This is because each parade takes a small break in front of them and the keeps going until the end.
The sectors at the beginning or the end of the Sambadrome are usually the cheapest and therefore the most sought after for most of the people. Here you either get a chance to see the start of the parades (which means no delay between Samba schools) or see the ending of the parades!
In our opinion, a good trade-off between location and price is are sectors 8, 10 and 11 which offer relatively cheap tickets a good central-end location in the Sambadrome. If you ask us, no matter which seating option you choose, those are the sectors to be in!
At the end of the day, just being inside the Sambadrome is an incredible experience and independently of where you end up seating there’s not a single possibility you won’t be enjoying yourself! Let’s be honest here, it’s Carnival !!!
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