São Paulo: Welcome to Brazil's Biggest Street Carnival

Dancers with meter-high feather headdresses, drummers in golden uniforms, floats shaped like giant parrots, and streets full of crowds, all dancing and cheering. Carnival in Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo, is an explosion of creativity and joie de vivre – and, at first glance, it is almost incomprehensible.    

 So let’s zoom in on the action. In the Sambódromo do Anhembi, the city’s largest samba stadium, the best samba schools in São Paulo compete for the championship title every year in front of more than 30,000 spectators. Among them is the samba group Mocidade Alegre, which has already won the competition twice with Samba Enredo singer Lucas Donato. “Every year, we start preparing for the next carnival a month after the last one,” the 29-year-old tells Lufthansa Insights. “Together with the group, I come up with a theme for the parade and compose the music to go with it. The dancers then rehearse their choreography based on that.”

 The singers play an important role in the carnival, says Donato. “For 70 minutes, they have to make sure that the audience’s enthusiasm doesn’t wane, because the jury evaluates the performance of a samba school afterwards.” Grandson of the famous samba singer Jorge Lucas, Donato has been singing at carnival parades all over the country since he was 15 years old. But São Paulo is something special. “Nowhere else do people prepare for the parade with as much passion as they do here,” says Donato. “No matter whether they’re rich or poor. Carnival brings together millions of visitors from all walks of life and expresses what moves people.”    

 In 2023, for example, Mocidade Alegre's Enredo, as the musical narrative of a samba performance is called, was dedicated to the African slave Yasuke, who made history as Japan’s first Black samurai. “We want to draw attention to issues such as the oppression of the Black population,” Donato says. “Because Carnival is more than just a party; it always has a political dimension.” 

For Carnival 2025, he advises visitors to get a ticket for one of the cheap seats in the Monumental Stand at the Sambódromo, where the atmosphere among the partying locals is particularly energetic. The same can be said for the more than 500 blocos, as the city’s themed street parties are called, where music ranging from hip-hop to baile funk booms out from loudspeakers.   

 Not for nothing does São Paulo hold the title of “Brazil's biggest street carnival,” as the party around the Sambódromo spreads throughout the city. According to Donato, many consider the carnival here to be more authentic than the one in Rio de Janeiro. “In São Paulo, only those who really put their heart and soul into it are allowed to participate. The main goal of the samba schools here is to win the championship title. If their samba school loses, the participants cry in each other’s arms. Carnival means everything to the people!” 

 Donato has another tip for those coming to São Paulo Carnival from abroad: “It’s best to arrive a few days early, because the locals are already grooving to the carnival at the numerous pre-parties. That way, even outsiders can quickly get into the rhythm of the city.” He recommends booking a hotel and tickets for the Sambódromo parades six months in advance; local tour operators offer packages that include hotel, tickets, and airport transfers. The next Carnival of São Paulo will be held between March 1–5, 2025.