Big news coming out of Rio de Janeiro in regard to carnival. From 2025 there will now be three nights of the parades of the top Grupo Especial samba schools, with four instead of six schools parading each of the nights.

Unidos de Padre Miguel, champion of Série Ouro, will open the parades on Sunday 2 March, with Unidos da Tijuca, 11th place in Grupo Especial this year, opening Monday, 3 March, and Mocidade, 10th placed in 2024, opening Tuesday, 4 March. The order and day of the other 9 schools will be decided on 23 May.

As a result of Tuesday being used for Grupo Especial, LIESA – Liga Independente das Escolas de Samba is studying the best solution for the parade of the children’s schools that traditionally take place on the Tuesday.

The changes mean at least 75,000 extra people will get to see the parades live and each night will not be such of a marathon for those at the sambódromo or watching on TV.