In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro’s carnival is one of the greatest parties on Earth.  In the beginning of February, the dancing begins, with parties in the streets, the Samba parade, and much more.  Brazilians like foreigners to at least try to dance, and most of the larger samba groups allow tourists to join them as long as they wear the costumes, known as “fantasias,” which travelers can order online for costs from $282 to $1,412.  If you don’t dance you can watch from the stadium as the city’s top 12 samba groups, each with an 80-minute long spectacle that features hundreds drummers, thousands of dancers and a dozen flamboyant parade floats follow along the stadium’s half-mile-long runway.  The stadium has a capacity crown of 88,500.

 A easier and cheaper way to celebrate is at Rio’s street carnival, where no tickets or costumes are needed.  You can dance along with the Bandas, which play hits of carnivals past, or the blocos, which write a new song for each carnival and play it repeatedly.  The Banda Ipanema is one of the most famous carnival bands, the fans of the Carmelitas bloco like to dress as nuns, though it is not required, and the Cordao de Bola Preta is one of the city’s most traditional carnival bands, and is a favorite for families with young children.

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