SEASONAL OCCASIONS
Rio Carnival
Carnival flavours on your flight
As you jet off to the most popular carnival in the world, why not jump straight into the colourful spirit with a taste of traditional Brazilian cuisine? To celebrate Rio Carnival 2020, we’re serving Brazilian dishes on all routes from Dubai to Brazil. Feast on the traditional Churrasco of grilled beef steak with molho a campanha, cassava flour crumble, egg-fried rice and potato sticks. Then, treat yourself to the popular Quindim desert made from sugar, egg yolks and ground coconut. After all, the Carnival began as a festival of abundant feasting before Lent – so start indulging the minute your journey begins.
Take your place in the parade
Rio Carnival is an annual Brazilian festival which takes place before the beginning of Easter and lasts for 5 days. In a wonderful tirade of carnival energy, influenced by Portuguese and African culture, two million people from all backgrounds gather on the streets. Open-air performances; multi-coloured costumes; enormous parade floats; spectacular samba dancers – just a taster of what you can expect at the Sambodromo arena.
Carnival Highlights
The highlight of the Carnival is when the infamous Samba dance schools from around the city compete at the Sambodromo area. 587 street party “blocos” then fill the city with bands, dancers, floats, feathered costumes, and raucous energy. You can participate in the parades of Cordão Da Bola Preta (Big Cord of the Black Ball), join the Magic Ball at the Copacabana Palace, and admire the street band of Ipanema. Dance to the drums and rhythms of the samba at this ostentatious, energetic carnival. You truly won’t find another to match it.
Things to do in Rio de Janeiro
There’s a reason Rio de Janeiro is called the Worldwide Capital of the Carnival, and the fun doesn’t stop with the Sambodromo festivities. Head to Pedro do Sal, Rio’s “Little Africa” and the birthplace of samba, or enjoy live music at Bip Bip bar and The Maze jazz club. Colourful surroundings continue at the markets of Feira Hippie de Ipanema and Babilônia Feira Hype. Along the South River area you’ll find the best hotels, and award-winning restaurants like Oro and Lasai are unmissable. And of course, no trip is complete without visiting iconic sites like Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf mountain.
Products and services may vary on actual flights depending on routes, aircraft configuration and seasonality. Operational requirements may also cause last-minute changes to the aircraft used on scheduled flights.