Rio de Janeiro Carnival Balls

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During the Carnival season, the city of Rio de Janeiro becomes the epicenter of a huge party that extends throughout the carnival. Although the official parades are the most colorful and well-known attraction of the whole carnival, this does not mean that there are some other alternatives to have fun. Besides the fantastic blocos that take over the city of Rio de Janeiro during the carnivals, there are also private initiative events in the city. Carnival dances in the city are definitely one of the most popular options if you are looking to get away from the traditional carnival celebration for a while.

Carnival in Brazil arrived during the colonial period; that is, approximately in the 16th century. The first carnival manifestations were the Portuguese entrudo, a kind of game that was practiced by slaves. In these celebrations, people went out into the streets to dirty each other by throwing mud, urine, water and other materials. This type of event was heavily censored, until it was finally banned in 1841. Although the celebration was supposedly on hiatus, it was actually kept alive with the participation of some citizens until the 20th century.

 

We accompany you to learn about the dances that are celebrated during the Rio de Janeiro Carnivals..

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After this period, otherexpressions began to proliferate, such as the cordões and ranchos, salon parties, the corsos and the schools samba. In addition, various musical movements such as the afoxés, frevos and maracatus began to emerge. With the invention of the Electric Trios a new era of celebration began in the streets of the country. Today, the Electric Trios form one of the indispensable elements of all large-scale blocos.

Carnival Dances arrived in the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1849. Since then, this type of celebrations have been proliferating over time. The parties began to acquire themes every year, transforming the old parties into new innovative events that integrate various sectors of the city. Today, there are a generous amount of carnival parties with diverse themes and different musical styles.

 

What is a Carnival dance

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Carnival balls are large events where people can attend to celebrate the carnival festivities. Although the traditional dances are masked or have already defined themes, nowadays the variety of dances is much more remarkable. The city of Rio de Janeiro offers a wealth of alternatives to conventional carnival parades and each of these has its own themes. Dances in the city can range from large glamorous galas to parties for the LGTBIQ+ community.

 

High River Dance

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It is one of the first dances of the carnival. It is held at the Hotel Nacional. Each year, the ball features a different theme, but usually has to do with national sentiment or thecity of Rio de Janeiro. For the event, several well-known DJs and groups of Afro music perform. The genres that predominate in the celebration are samba, axé, mpb, pagode and a lot of percussion bands.

The event encourages the use of costumes, as it also offers contests in which you can win nights or meals at the Hotel Nacional.

Price: from 120 to 150 Brazilian reais, which is equivalent to 20 or 30 US dollars.

Spanta Masked Ball

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The Spanta Masquerade Ball is one of the main festivities of Rio. This celebration has been going on for about 10 years. The event attempts to revive the great carnival dances that marked the history of the city. The celebration is animated by a large number of nationally recognized artists. In addition, it also features several shows, jugglers, aerial canvases, people on trunks and acrobats. In previous editions, the celebration has had as many as 40,000 revelers participating in the event.

The event requests costumes of a mandatory nature. Participants may attend with fancy dress or costume and mask.

Price: prices range between 100 and 200 Brazilian reais, which is equivalent to 18 to 36 US dollars.

 

Grand Masquerade Ball

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This is an enchanting celebration that takes place in Morro da Urca. The entrance to the event includes a mask. Also, people don’t necessarily have to go with elaborate costumes. However, you can bring your own costume or mask. This party tries to rescue the traditions of carnival dances, so it integrates a lot of musical genres, among them the samba. The organization also has a rest area with an open bar.

The event has had up to 4,000 people and tickets sell out extremely fast.

Price: From 180 to 360 Brazilian reais, which is equivalent to 30 to 60 US dollars.

 

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Baile do Bloco da Preta

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This is a dance performed by the Bloco da Preta, organized by the Carioca singer-songwriter Preta Maria Gadelha Gil Moreira de Godoy. The event includes a fantastic mix of traditional Brazilian rhythms, including axé and samba. In addition, it also features DJs and Preta Maria Gadelha Gil Moreira de Godoy also participates in the party’s entertainment.

Price: the price of this event is much more affordable than the rest, since the entrance costs about 40 Brazilian reais, which is equivalent to a little more than 7 US dollars.

Baile do Chora Me Liga

It is a party held by the bloco de Chora Me Liga. The event has several sound systems at various strategic points. Each of these stages has several DJs and nationally recognized artists. In addition, it offers open bar with water, vodka, beer, sumos and sweet drinks.

Price: The standard price of the celebration is 150 Brazilian reais, which would be a little less than 30 US dollars. The event also offers some packages or ticket sales promotions if you go with a group of people.

 

 

Mardi Gras Ball

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This event is probably one of the most crowded of the carnivals. The celebration has been going on for about 10 years now and one of the sponsors of the event is Red Bull. This dance has the participation of several DJs and blocos of the city. In addition, they offer a great lights and laser show. The Mardi Gras Ball in Rio de Janeiro is definitely one of the most exclusive and inclusive of the entire city.

Although it is not mandatory to dress up in costume, the organization encourages the use of costumes, as it offers several prizes for the best costume.

Price: The price of the tickets might seem a bit high. However, dozens of international artists and blocos participate in the event. Each ticket costs 620 Brazilian reais, which translates to a little less than 115 U.S. dollars.

 

Baile do Eva

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This party attempts to recreate the type of entertainment typical of the carnivals of Salvador in the state of Bahia. The event features the participation of several nationally recognized DJs, with funk rhythms predominating.

Price: The ticket price is about 70 Brazilian reais, which is equivalent to about US$13.

 

Baile do Sarongue

The Baile do Sarongue is one of the most particular celebrations in the whole city. The event follows a theme faithful to the carnival celebrations, as it incorporates several typical elements of the festivities such as the King Momo. In addition, it includes elements originating from the carnivals such as irony, picardy and satire.

The event incorporates the tradition of thecarnival halls with contemporary artistic expression. In addition, it also seeks to find a middle ground between innovation, fun and traditional elements. The celebration features plenty offuturistic retro entertainment, one of the strands that the organization intends to recreate. One of the peculiarities of the event is that they do not sell tickets online, which makes it somewhat difficult to acquire them. However, in their social networks they make some publications in this regard.

Price: The ticket price can be somewhat high, as it is 300 Brazilian reais, which is equivalent to about 50 US dollars approximately.

 

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Sala Gay Ball

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The Scala Gay Ball is one of the most inclusive and well-known carnival events in the entire city. The event is held with lots of glamour, feathers and good vibes. The event features a lot of wonderful performances that people can enjoy in different spaces within the venue.

The dance floor and 4-seater tables are offered open bar where you can get water, beer, soft drinks, vodka and other energy drinks and sweets. However, specialized booths for 10 people feature snacks, meals, fruit, beer, water, soft drinks, caipirinha, whiskey, tequila and vodka with energy drinks.

Price: Depending on what type of service you decide to purchase, the price may change. Tickets for tracks and open bar only cost 200 reais, tables with 4 seats cost 1,000 reais and individual and group cabarets cost 600 and 3,500 reais respectively. All these prices range from US$36 to US$640.

 

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Vermelho e Preto Carnival Dance

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This is a celebration that pays tribute to the Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, also known simply as Flamengo, which uses as its insignia the colors red and black (Vermelho and preto). The Flamengo Club is a polysporting aggregation based in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The event features an incredible amount of shows. In addition, the dance also features drum bands, blocos, singers and artists recognized nationally and internationally. The dance also includes a small parade.

Price: The price of the tickets may vary depending on the services you want to purchase. Access to the average track is 50 Brazilian reais, while the VIP track is 70 Brazilian reais. The camerinos or cabins of 15 people are priced at 2,500 reais. However, the latter include a bottle of vodka, a bottle of whisky, 5 cans of beer, 5 energy drinks, 5 cans of refreshments and 5 bottles of water.

 

 

Baile dos Solteiros

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The Baile dos Solteiros or Baile dos Solteiros in Spanish, is a celebration usually held at the Hotel Hilton Capacaban during the month of June. However, an edition is also held during carnivals in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The event includes animation, music and streamer games, water and foam. In addition, they perform some playful games that keep reference to the dating application Tinder.

The event also includes drinks such as water, Cachaça, Catuaba Tradicional, Catuaba with azaí, beer, energy drinks, sodas or refreshments, sumos, vodka, caipirinha and caipirosca. In addition, it also offers cocktails such as CatuCola with Catuaba and Coca Cola, CatuVodka with Catuaba with Vodka, Hi Fi with Vodka and Orange Fanta, Russian Libre with vodka and Coca Cola.

Price: The price of the event ranges from 45 to 70 Brazilian reais, depending on the different sale dates and promotions.

 

Dancing in Cinelandia

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This is one of themost famous carnival dances in the whole city. The event lasts for 5 days and features a wide range of historic artists from the dances originating from the carnival. The event is aimed at all the idols of the artists from the 40s and 60s era, so you’ll find plenty of traditional music, including samba.

The Dance at Cinelandia is a popular and public event, so you can go without paying admission. The event was designed for the working class who wanted to celebrate the carnival celebrations and dances of yesteryear.

 

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Baile do Sha

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The event is directed by musician Rodrigo Sha, who has a long trajectory in the industry of musicand production in the country. The dances have been taking place for 10 years and is a space where positive energy, electronic rhythms and instrumental music abound. The event is one of the most peculiar in the city, as it includes saxophone sounds, one of Rodrigo Sha’s specialties.

 

Baile da Favorita

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This is an event where the rhythms of the Funk genre predominate. The dance is part of a macro event known as Carnaholic. This event also includes presentations of blocos, big parties and concerts.

 

Baile do Copa

This ball has been taking place since 1994 and every year has a different theme that is reflected in the decoration of the place. The event features the participation of various DJs, bands and nationally recognized musicians. In addition, they also offer drinks, food and open bar. The Baile do Copa requires participants to dress formally, the men in suits and ties and the women in ball gowns.

Price: The price per ticket to the ball ranges from 2,100 to 5,700 Brazilian reais, which translates to US$380 to US$1,000.

 

Baile do Momus

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This dance is one of the most legitimate carnival performances in the city. The event features arlequines everywhere, attracting an incredible atmosphere of celebration. The dances also feature a wonderful atmosphere of celebration, music, food and playful activities.

Price: The ticket price is 25 Brazilian reais, about US$5.

 

 

Copacabana Palace Ball

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The Copacabana Palace Dances are probably the most popular and glamorous event among the dances in the city. This event features a large large luxurious elements of carnivals. In addition, it is the meeting point for many national and international celebrities who are looking for different entertainment during the carnival season. One could consider the Copacabana Ball to be of high caliber, enjoying the most glamorous atmosphere in the entire city.

 

Guests must wear formal suits, as there is a dress code that must be followed. Men must wear a suit and black tie and women may wear a ball gown. However, the organization also encourages the use of extravagant and colorful costumes to be the center of attention at the parties.

We recommend you to attend well dressed, since in many opportunities several media and press attend the event to cover theparticipation of celebrities. The celebration is the meeting point for the elite found in the city of Rio de Janeiro, so it is not surprising that access prices are so exorbitant.

 

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The event includes 3 types of tickets:.

 

Golden Room

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This is the main room of the venue, where the band will play and have the dance floor. This section also offers seating and tables by reservation.

Price: The price for this service is about 5,786 Brazilian reais, the equivalent of US$1,000.

 

Salão Nobre

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It is located next to the Golden Room and offers views of the pool.

Price: The price for this access is 3,990 Brazilian reais, which is equivalent to about US$730.

 

Single ticket

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If you purchase this ticket, you will have access to the entire party, but you will not have reserved seating. However, you have the possibility to access tables and chairs on a first-come, first-served basis.

Price: The price for this ticket is 2,100 Brazilian reais, which is equivalent to about US$380.

You can also make some reservations for cabins on the premises. However, you must contact the event organizers to request this service.