The draw has been made for main parades of the major Rio samba schools, the  Grupo Especial. The parades will take place on the nights of Sunday, 7 February and Monday, 8 February 2016. The order will be:

Sunday, 7 February 2016

• Estácio de Sá
• União da Ilha
• Beija-Flor
• Grande Rio
• Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel
• Unidos da Tijuca

Monday, 8 February 2016

• Vila Isabel
• Salgueiro
• São Clemente
• Portela
• Imperatriz Leopoldinense
• Mangueira

Six schools will parade on Sunday night and six on Monday and they will start at 21.30, 22.35, 23.40, 00.45, 01.50 and 02.55.

Based on the results of the last six carnivals (2010-2015), the League of Samba Schools (LIESA) ranks the top ten samba schools in Rio de Janeiro as:

Unidos da Tijuca (95 points)
Beija-Flor (81)
Salgueiro (69)
Unidos de Vila Isabel (53)
Grande Rio (47)
Imperatriz Leopoldinense (34)
Portela (34)
Mangueira (29)
União da Ilha do Governador (17)
Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel (16)