Rio Carnival 2027: Dates, Sapucaí Tickets From R$ 45 and Where to Stay

Rio Carnival 2027 has three Grupo Especial nights at the Sapucaí, February 7 to 9, with Série Ouro grandstand tickets from R$ 45 (Aug 2026), since the Grupo Especial grandstand has sold out, plus free street parties starting January 16. The biggest expense is the hotel: in the Centro, the street parties and the Sapucaí are one metro stop away.

Booking.com partner (advertising): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

In this article: the Sapucaí nights and tickets at a glance, blocos, first time in Rio, where to stay, how much it costs and how to get back in the early hours.

🎭 Carnival 2027 · Carnival 2027 Guide · Where to stay

Blocos or Sapucaí: how to split up Rio Carnival

Rio has two parties on the same holiday, and almost every tourist does both. By day, the street parties take over the Centro and the Zona Sul, for free. At night, the samba schools parade at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with paid tickets and parades until dawn.

An itinerary that works: two or three days of morning blocos, one night at the Sapucaí and a beach day to rest. Since the parades run until dawn, don’t schedule an early bloco the next day.

Sapucaí 2027: nights, tickets and box seats at a glance

The Sapucaí has six nights in 2027: Série Ouro on Friday, February 5, and Saturday, February 6; Grupo Especial on Sunday, February 7, Monday, February 8, and Tuesday, February 9; and the Champions’ Parade on Saturday, February 13. In Voyage Voyage’s October 2026 survey, the price per night ranged from R$ 45 in the Série Ouro grandstand to more than R$ 5,000 in a box seat (Aug–Sep 2026 price lists). Each night has its own guide:

Grupo Especial: February 7, 8 and 9

The 12 Grupo Especial schools parade four per night, in the order drawn by Liesa in April 2026, with Beija-Flor and Vila Isabel on Sunday, Salgueiro and Imperatriz on Monday and Portela and Mangueira on Tuesday, among others. The special grandstand cost R$ 250 per night, half-price R$ 125, in the general sale on 08/10/2026 (Tupi, Jul 2026) and was sold out by 09/28; the next stage, with popular grandstands in sectors 12 and 13, has no date yet. Full order, sectors and box seats in the Grupo Especial 2027 guide.

Série Ouro: February 5 and 6

The access division parades from 8:50 pm, with 17 schools over two nights (Diário do Rio, Apr 2026). It’s the cheapest way into the Sapucaí: grandstand tickets from R$ 45 to R$ 65 per night, depending on the batch (Sep 2026). Sectors, even or odd, and how to parade by buying a costume are in the Série Ouro 2027 guide.

Box seats: from R$ 1,300 to R$ 5,900 per night (Aug 2026)

Box seats include open bar, food, shows and, in most cases, transfers, and cost from R$ 1,300 to R$ 5,900 per night in Ticketmaster’s August 2026 price lists. Most are for ages 18 and up only; three accept children from age 5. The ten box seats, with price, sector and what’s included, are in the Rio Carnival 2027 box seats guide.

The official sale for all of this is only through Ticketmaster, with named tickets in the app. A ticket sold over WhatsApp or paid by Pix to an individual is a scam: see the warning signs in the Carnival safety guide.

Street parties in Rio: when the schedule comes out

The blocos are the free part of the party and start before the holiday. According to Riotur’s calendar, the 2027 street Carnival schedule begins on January 16, and the official list with day, time and location comes out after the registrations are reviewed (Riotur). In 2026, the City Hall expected around 458 blocos and 7 million revelers in the streets (Rio City Hall, 2026).

The megablocos are concentrated in the Centro, on wide avenues. In 2026, Cordão da Bola Preta, the oldest in Rio, paraded on Carnival Saturday at 7 am on Rua Primeiro de Março, among ten megablocos that paraded in the Centro (2026 edition). In the Zona Sul, the blocos are smaller and end near the beach.

Outside the holiday, Rio has a packed summer calendar, from technical rehearsals at the Sapucaí to concerts: the list is in Rio de Janeiro events in 2027.

First time at Rio Carnival: how to plan the 5 days

For a first time, the itinerary that works is to alternate: bloco in the morning, rest in the afternoon and at most one or two nights at the Sapucaí, with a beach or sightseeing day in between. Nobody can handle five straight days of blocos and parades, and a night at the Sapucaí ends in the morning.

With kids, the rule is to go in the morning and stay away from the megablocos. Riotur’s official schedule, out in January, marks the kids’ blocos; prefer the neighborhood ones in the Zona Sul, which end early. For sleeping, Botafogo and Flamengo are near the metro and outside the megablocos’ path, with calmer nights than Lapa. At the Sapucaí, children from age 5 pay for a ticket, and only three box seats accept minors.

Before the holiday, it’s worth seeing a samba school rehearsal: it’s the best preparation for your first night at the Sapucaí.

Where to stay for Rio Carnival

The most practical base is the Centro and Lapa, within walking distance of the megablocos and one metro stop from the Sapucaí. The Zona Sul combines beach and smaller blocos, but it’s more expensive and farther from the Sambadrome. In October 2026, Copacabana already had few rooms left in a well-rated hotel for the holiday.

Base	Best for	Getting back from the party	Hotel (5 nights, couple)	Book
Lapa and Centro	Anyone who wants megablocos and the Sapucaí	Walk to the blocos; metro to the Sapucaí	R$ 7,728 to R$ 9,000 (Oct 2026)	Near the megablocos:Hotel Carioca8.3Booking ›Rede Andrade Lapa8.4Booking ›
Arpoador and Ipanema	Anyone who wants beach and Zona Sul blocos	Metro Line 1 to the Sapucaí	R$ 11,772 (Oct 2026)	Between Copacabana and Ipanema:Atlantis Copacabana Hotel8.5Booking ›
Copacabana	Anyone who wants the most famous beachfront	Metro Line 1; back from the Sapucaí in the early hours	R$ 25,940 (Oct 2026)	On the beachfront:Hilton Copacabana8.3Booking ›

Total price shown by Booking for 2 adults, February 5 to 10, 2027, free cancellation only, checked on 10/11/2026.

We compare each neighborhood in detail, with distance to the party and how to get back in the early hours, in the where to stay for Rio Carnival guide.

Want other dates or another neighborhood? Search with your dates:

How much Rio Carnival costs

The blocos are free; the expense is the hotel and, if you want, the Sapucaí. The scenarios below add up the hotel from Friday, February 5, to Wednesday, February 10, for two adults. Flights, food and drinks vary with your origin and your pace.

To compare with other cities, including flights, food and transport, see how much Carnival 2027 costs; and, before booking a package, the math on the build-your-own Carnival package.

Getting to Rio and getting around during Carnival

On party days, the metro is the best way: in 2026, Lines 1, 2 and 4 ran 24 hours from Monday to Ash Wednesday (MetrôRio, 2026). For the Sapucaí, get off at Central do Brasil (odd sectors) or Praça Onze (even sectors). The 2027 operation details come out close to the party.

What time it ends and how to get back to the hotel

The Sapucaí parades run until dawn: Grupo Especial starts at night and the last school usually goes on in the early hours, and Série Ouro starts at 8:50 pm. The Centro megablocos start early: in 2026, Cordão da Bola Preta gathered at 7 am. In 2026, metro Lines 1, 2 and 4 ran 24 hours on Carnival days (MetrôRio, 2026); the 2027 operation details come out close to the party.

When the parade lets out and the blocos disperse, rideshare apps switch to surge pricing and take a while, because the surrounding streets are closed. The cheapest way is the metro to the stop nearest your hotel and a rideshare app only for the last stretch. At the Sapucaí, use the station on your sector’s side: Praça Onze for even sectors and Central do Brasil for odd ones.

Things to do in Rio between parade days

The mornings after the Sapucaí call for a light outing. The ones below leave from the Zona Sul and the Centro; check whether they operate on Carnival days.

Partner · Civitatissee all tours in Rio de Janeiro ›

Rating 8.41,945 reviews

Full Rio tour with Christ the Redeemer

Christ the Redeemer, Escadaria Selarón, the Cathedral and Maracanã in one day, by minibus, with a guide.

fromR$ 550per person

Check availability ›

• Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain Tour

  Rating 8.3551 reviews

  Oct 2026 price · Both postcards in one morning
  fromR$ 502per person
  View ›
• Rio Sunset Sailboat Cruise

  Rating 9.7343 reviews

  Oct 2026 price · Guanabara Bay in the late afternoon
  fromR$ 267per person
  View ›
• Petrópolis Day Trip

  Rating 8.4352 reviews

  Oct 2026 price · Mountains and the Imperial Museum, away from the party
  fromR$ 233per person
  View ›

Civitatis prices, per person, checked on 10/11/2026.

Heat, crowds and safety at Rio Carnival

February in Rio is hot, and at the megablocos you spend hours standing in the sun. Drink water between drinks, wear sunscreen and a hat, and eat before you head out. Carry only your ID, one card and your phone strapped to your body, in a fanny pack under your clothes. If you’re going solo, check out the guide Carnival for solo women, with the support stations at Sapucaí and the blocos.

Agree on a meeting point with your group away from the bloco’s route, because cell signal drops in the crowd. At Sapucaí, get to your sector early and keep your ticket in the app, don’t rely on a screenshot.

When buying, the risk is a fake Sapucaí ticket: the guide to Carnival scams shows the warning signs and what to do if your phone is stolen; the Carnival 2027 ticket-buying calendar tells you when each sale opens.

Heading out in the rain? Check the February weather, what to bring to the bloco and what to do with your ticket if there’s a cancellation.

The Carnival Firenze has a daytime stop in Rio on 02/05/2027, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.: you can’t watch the nighttime parade and get back to the ship. Compare with the Carnival cruise departures before combining the two trips.

To plan your itinerary, check out the drum queens and storylines of the 12 schools and the costume ideas by type of bloco, with prices. Want to parade? See how to parade in a Rio samba school, with costume prices and rules for foreigners.

Frequently asked questions

When is Rio Carnival 2027?

The Grupo Especial of Rio Carnival 2027 parades at Sapucaí on Sunday, the 7th, Monday, the 8th, and Tuesday, the 9th of February. Série Ouro parades on Friday, the 5th, and Saturday, the 6th, and the Champions’ Parade is on Saturday, the 13th. The results come out at the scoring, which should be on Ash Wednesday (Rio Carnival 2027 scoring). The street blocos start on January 16.

How much does a Sapucaí ticket cost in 2027?

The Grupo Especial special grandstand went for R$ 250 per night, R$ 125 for half-price, and was sold out on 09/28/2026; the frisas ranged from R$ 1,835 to R$ 10,200 (Sep 2026). At Série Ouro, the grandstand runs from R$ 45 to R$ 65, and the boxes from R$ 1,300 to R$ 5,900 per night (Aug 2026). Official sales are only through Ticketmaster.

What time do the parades at Sapucaí end?

In the early hours or after sunrise: each Grupo Especial school parades for about an hour, and the last one of the night goes on in the early hours. In 2026, the metro ran 24 hours on Carnival days, which makes getting back easier.

Where should I stay during Rio Carnival?

In Centro and Lapa, walking distance from the megablocos and one metro stop from Sapucaí. In October 2026, five nights for a couple cost from R$ 7,728 in Lapa, around R$ 11,800 in Arpoador and almost R$ 26,000 in Copacabana, on Booking (Oct 2026). With kids, Botafogo and Flamengo are calmer.

When does the Rio 2027 bloco schedule come out?

According to the Riotur schedule, the 2027 street Carnival starts on January 16, and the official bloco list, with day, time and location, comes out after the registration review, close to the start of the season.

Is it worth spending Carnival in Rio?

It’s worth it for anyone who wants the two biggest attractions of Brazilian Carnival in the same holiday: free blocos by day and the samba schools at Sapucaí by night. What to do now: book a hotel in Centro or Lapa with free cancellation, buy the ticket for the night you want before it sells out, and keep an eye on the bloco schedule, which comes out in January. The details for each night are in the guides to the Grupo Especial, Série Ouro and the boxes; to compare, see São Paulo Carnival 2027.