Tens of Thousands Gather for Rescheduled Festivities as Rio’s Top Samba Schools Take Center Stage
After a long hiatus due to the pandemic, Rio de Janeiro’s vibrant Carnival celebrations have returned, filling the iconic Sambadrome with colorful floats and extravagant dance performances. Tens of thousands of spectators packed the venue on Friday night for the first of two evenings, watching Rio’s elite samba schools as they brought their unique style and passion back to the streets.
Among the performers was Ketula Melo, a 38-year-old muse from the Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school, who embodied the Afro-Brazilian deity Iemanja in an elaborate costume. Expressing her excitement at returning to the Sambadrome, Melo was one of many performers who added to the atmosphere of joy and relief as Carnival’s beloved spectacle resumed.
