The Rio Carnival 2014 is all set to begin on Friday, with millions of people from across the globe expected to descend in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to celebrate the world famous party.
The opening ceremony of the carnival will kick off at 7pm (local time) on Monday and the Carnival King (Momo) will be crowned by the city Mayor, besides recieving the city's keys before the samba parade begins. More than 200 samba schools will participate in the parade.
The five-day celebrations, which include samba school parades at the Sambadrome, concerts and street parties, will conclude on Tuesday, a day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent season. Thousands of tourists attending the carnival should boost the tourism industry at a time when the country is faced with economic turmoil and political unrest.
The carnival will generate around BRL $950 million (£250 million), three-quarters of which comes from Rio tourists alone, according to The Independent. The north-east region of Brazil will beat Rio, in terms of visitors, with around 1.6 million tourists expected, bringing in BRL $1.55 billion (£400 million), added the report.
Tickets to the carnival can be bought HERE. Even if the tickets are sold out, visitors can still have fun by hitting the streets, where open-air celebrations are scheduled.
Here is the complete schedule of Rio de Janeiro Carnival 2014, according to the official website:
Friday, 28 February
19.00 Opening Ceremony - the Carnival King (Momo) is crowned by the city mayor and receives the city´s keys
21.00 First day Parade of the Samba Schools in the Access Group
23.00 Black Balls in Rio Scala
Saturday, 1 March
09.30 Street Band Cordão do Bola Preta (Downtown)
16.00 Banda de Ipanema meets at Praça General Osório, Ipanema
20.00 Street Band Competition in Av. Rio Branco, Centro (Downtown)
21.00 Second day Parade of the Samba Schools in the Access Group
23.00 The Magic Ball at Copacabana Palace Hotel
23.00 Samba School Mangueira Ball in Rio Scala
Sunday, 2 March
21.00 Parade of the Samba Schools in the Special Group
23.00 The Marvelous City Ball in Rio Scala
Monday, 3 March
21.00 Parade of the Samba Schools in the Special Group
23.00 Long live the Beer Ball in Rio Scala
Tuesday, 4 March
16.00 Banda de Ipanema marches for the last time
21.00 Parade of the Children's Samba Schools
23.00 Gay Ball in Rio Scala
