Going to the sambodromo to watch the world-famous samba school parade in Rio de Janeiro isn’t as difficult as it seems. I mean, all it takes is a ticket, a subway ride and the willingness to spend an entire night watching the magic happen.

Yet, it took me a few tries to understand how it works and really get it.

Our first sambodromo experience was in 2002. We didn’t know anything about Brazil, I didn’t speak a word of Portuguese and the whole experience was a bit overwhelming. I remember it was long and we got soaked.

I reluctantly agree to go again in 2009. The same kind of experience, basically sitting around for hours watching a parade.

We took Mark to the sambodromo in 2018, and I started to appreciate how beautifully choreographed everything was.

This year, I cried. I cried because I think I got it.

This isn’t just a colourful show. It’s the life and livelihood of thousands of people who worked hard to create something beautiful for the world to enjoy. It’s a way to connect people and tell stories. It’s positive, it’s constructive, and it’s art.

I’m not a samba parade expert, but I learned a few things over the years. The basic rules, for instance, because this is not just a parade, it’s a competition.

Each school has 45 to 55 minutes to parade from one end of the sambodromo to the other, and the Marquês de Sapucaí street—that’s the sambodromo, a permanent parade ground—is 700 meters long. The parade must include at least 900 people, with at least 150 drummers.

The 40 judges are spread out over the stretch and they focus on ten elements: the theme, samba story, overall synchronization, decorations, the “comissão de frente e alas” (the front and side groups), the “ala das baianas” (older ladies wearing traditional Bahia customs), and the decorated costumes.

Nothing is flawless. One of the floats was catching on fire (see the smoke in the pictures below), and costumes occasionally need to be readjusted along the way. The judges may not like it but I find it touching—hey, they’re human, perfection is boring!

Now, from a practical perspective:

• With a capacity of 90,000, the sambodromo offers plenty of opportunities to attend the multi-day samba parade. On the opening day, tickets were about $30 each. We bought them online and picked them up in a hotel in Copacabana, the process was very smooth. The champion parade is much more expensive ($120) but you probably don’t need to attend it if you’re not a samba expert.
• Don’t expect fancy seats, we’re talking uncovered concrete bleachers. Buy a rain poncho just in case.
• You can move around freely within your “sector” and you’re most welcome to drink, eat, smoke, take pictures, whatever. The only big no-no is firearms (!)
• The subway ride to the sambodromo is an experience in itself, as you will probably see many parade people bringing their costumes in large garbage bags.
• The parade is supposed to start at 10 p.m. but it’s often late. Expect to spend most of the night at the sambodromo. We watched three schools and left at 2 a.m. because we were exhausted after the Santa Teresa bloco and more blocos to come the next day.… but there were still four more to go!