Samba Parade Tickets

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Samba Parade Ticket Guide

This page provides information about Samba Parade tickets for the 2010 Rio Carnival Parade in the Sambodromo.
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The Rio Carnival Parade or Samba Parade is undoubtedly the highlight of the Rio Carnival, a totally unique event in the world. It is something everybody has to experience at least once in life.

The Samba Parade is however not a street style party, where people just move about as they like but rather a highly orchestrated show of vast proportions. Thus it is not free. However Samba Parade tickets are definitely worth the money. You will experience (and probably dance to) such a spectacular show that you certainly have never seen before. The Samba Parade is often referred to as 'The biggest Show on Earth'.

The venue of the Samba Parade, the Sambodromo, can seat around 70,000 people. It has become too small for such a big event. The demand for tickets is obviously significantly bigger than the capacity as the Samba Parade is one of the most interesting and well-known events in the world. Lots of visitors from all over the globe arrive every year, just to see and experience it at least once in life. At the same time, all Brazilians and Rio inhabitants also want to see it as often as possible. Thus you should buy your Samba Parade tickets well in advance not to get disappointed. Do not leave it to the last minute as tickets sell out and prices increase with time.

Samba Parade Tickets - Description

A ticket is valid for one night only and is for a specific sector. You should decide for the day, seat type and sector.

You can buy tickets for any of the Samba Parade nights separately. The most important nights are Carnival Sunday and Monday, which are similar in terms of set-up. 6 of the best 12 Samba Schools (the Special Group) march on both days. If you only opt for one day it should be Monday. The excitement of the people already reaches its ultimate limits by then and the winner usually comes from that day.

On Champion´s Saturday, the best samba schools parade once again. It is significantly quieter and tickets are much cheaper.

For deciding on the sector, you can study the description of the Sambodromo with maps of the sectors.

Samba Parade tickets consist of two parts which are only valid together. One part, with a magnetic stripe, will be retained at the first gate to the Sambodromo. The remaining part, which you can put around your neck with the supplied string, is for your sector entrance. After you have checked into the Sambodromo with your magnetic card, you can come and go out of your sector as many times as you like and walk around within the Sambodromo but you can enter only your own sector.

In emergency or with special needs, you can agree with the Coordinator of your sector to leave the Sambodromo and return later that night.

Although tickets are allocated very early by the authorities they only issue vouchers to all agencies and applicants. These vouchers can be exchanged by the agents for the actual magnetic tickets only one week before Carnival, for security reasons and to avoid fraud. Thus tickets cannot be sent out before, nevertheless they can be delivered within Rio after they come into existence.

Ticket Prices

Children under 5 can go for free. Over 5 they pay full price. There is no student concession.

Tickets are priced differently by the individual agents after the central allocation, reflecting their pricing policy. Agencies who source tickets from the central allocation charge less. Agencies using other intermediaries will charge more.

Sector 9 is called the tourist sector to justify the considerably higher price than all neighboring sectors. You might feel there quite isolated from the Brazilians and the "party". You will be better off in the boxes in front of Sector 4 for the same price and VIP seating.

Price differences between the sectors reflect what the market thinks about the view of the Parade from that particular section of the Parading Avenue. The best locations are around half-way and just a bit towards the end of the Avenue, being sectors 5, 7 and 11.

Seat types

There are two types of seats: grand stand seats and numbered seats.

Grand Stand seats (bleachers or "arquibancadas") offer free seating with no allocated seats. You can get as high and will sit wherever you want and can.

Allocated/numbered seats are either in boxes/suites or there are on numbered chairs. All seats in sector 9 (the so called tourist sector) are also numbered.

Boxes are covered and offer VIP seating and services (the suites) or open in front of the sectors.

The front boxes ("frisas") are right on the samba run-way, in front of sector 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11 and are without cover. Each front box seats 6 people and has a little coffee table and is as close to the run-way as it gets.

Suites offer the only covered seating and are the most comfortable and stylish boxes, offering special services such as free food and drinks the whole night. The best ones are in Sector 2, a building on 3 floors (A, B and C-being the top floor). They hold 12 people.

The numbered chairs are at the very end of the the samba run-way, at Apotheosis Square. They are placed on steps for better views, in front of sectors 6 and 13. They are allocated.

Recommendations

Near the drummers' niche - The drummers of every school stop, perform and play in the drummers’ niche where the atmosphere is the most intense. The front boxes in front of Sector 4 are located just opposite, offering the best view of them. Sector 11 is being one of the best grand stands as it is next to it with excellent acoustics.

Middle of the range for the average budget - Sector 5 is right in the middle of the Avenue, offering good views from the front and back of the Parade, combined with reasonable prices.

Up-scale - Enjoy one of our Luxury Suites if you want to have the full-blown experience and to make the night really special with VIP seating, treatment, services and the best views.
Sector 7 also has an excellent location. Most judges are at this section of the Avenue.

Allocated seats on a budget - If you want to make sure that you have your seats for the whole night, go for the numbered, allocated chairs in front of Sector 6. You will have your own private chair, and can come and go whenever you like without anyone else taking your seat. The chairs are located on reclining steps to assure unrestricted, good views.

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