Discover the themes behind the parades of Rio’s leading samba schools

Carnival in Brazil is one of the largest celebrations in the world. But beyond the music, costumes and festivities, it is also a powerful expression of history, identity, resistance and art. One of the highlights of the celebration is the parade of the samba schools of Rio de Janeiro.

In this special series, Rádio Nacional da Amazônia presents the themes — known in Portuguese as enredos — chosen by Rio de Janeiro’s leading samba schools for the 2026 Carnival, and later reveals the grand champion of the competition. The episodes explore the stories, characters, traditions and cultural references brought to life on the avenue by some of the most important samba schools in Brazilian carnival.

From the mangrove-inspired sounds of the Manguebeat movement to Afro-Gaúcho traditions in southern Brazil; from the spiritual heritage of the Amazon to Afro-Cuban religious traditions, each school brought to the Marquês de Sapucaí Sambadrome a story worth telling.

The episodes feature personalities such as Rita Lee, Ney Matogrosso and Carolina Maria de Jesus; cultural and religious traditions such as the Bembé do Mercado, the Batuque religion of southern Brazil and the Cuban Ifá tradition; and tributes to figures from the carnival world itself, including carnival designer Rosa Magalhães and drum section master Ciça.

Beyond the carnival competition itself, the series offers an introduction to Brazilian history, music, literature, religious traditions and cultural heritage through the stories chosen by the samba schools.

The episodes — each between five and six minutes — are available for download here.

The International Service of Rádio Nacional da Amazônia is broadcast at 10:50 p.m., 4:50 a.m., and 7:20 a.m. (Brasília time – GMT -03:00), on the frequencies 6,180 kHz and 11,780 kHz.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Script and English narration: Nathália Mendes

Spanish narration: Guilherme Strozi and Ana Pimenta

Editing and sound design: Messias Melo

Listen to the episodes:

IMPERATRIZ LEOPOLDINENSE

Imperatriz Leopoldinense paid tribute to one of Brazil’s most important artists: the singer Ney Matogrosso:

PORTELA

Portela took the avenue to tell the story of the black community in Rio Grande do Sul, in Southern Brazil, with Prince Custódio as its central figure — a historical and spiritual leader of african origin, considered one of the founding figures of afro-gaúcho culture:

MANGUEIRA

This year, Mangueira became the Estação Primeira of Amapá, a state in the far north of Brazil. The theme highlights afro-indigenous traditions of the region and the figure of Mestre Sacaca, known as the doctor of the forest:

MOCIDADE

Mocidade celebrated the woman who redefined rock music and behavior in brazil: singer and songwriter Rita Lee. As the school itself says, it told the story of the queen of Brazilian rock and her quest for freedom:

BEIJA-FLOR

Beija-Flor presented a theme about the Bembé do Mercado, a celebration held in the state of Bahia since 1889 to celebrate the freedom of black people:

VIRADOURO

Viradouro turned its own maestro into a parade theme. The school told the story of Mestre Ciça, one of the greatest samba drum section leaders in carnival history:

UNIDOS DA TIJUCA

Unidos da Tijuca honored one of the most powerful voices in Brazilian literature: writer, composer and poet Carolina Maria de Jesus, internationally known for her landmark book Child of the Dark: the diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus:

PARAÍSO DO TUIUTI

Paraíso do Tuiuti followed the paths of Ifá, a religious tradition of african origin preserved in Cuba over centuries:

VILA ISABEL

Vila Isabel told the story of the black roots of samba through the life and work of a carnival icon: Heitor dos Prazeres — musician, composer, painter, and one of the founders of Rio’s first samba schools:

GRANDE RIO

Grande Rio traveled to the state of Pernambuco and dived into the mud of manguebeat — a countercultural movement that revolutionized Brazil’s music scene in the 1990s:

SALGUEIRO

Salgueiro brought to the avenue the legacy of Rosa Magalhães — one of the most brilliant figures in the history of carnival and the most successful carnival designer of the Sambódromo era, which began in 1984:

THE CHAMPION OF THE CARNIVAL

This year, the champion of the Rio de Janeiro carnival was Viradouro. With the theme “Pra cima, Ciça!” — “Go for it, Ciça!” — the school won its fourth special group title: