Rio de Janeiro cancels Carnival street parades

Rio de Janeiro, world famous for its Carnival celebrations every year, has decided to cancel the numerous street parades that draw thousands of tourists to the Brazilian city.

The city’s Mayor said an influx of COVID-19 cases influenced his decision, but said Rio still plans to host its annual main celebration – the lively and colorful parade of dancers from Rio’s samba schools that also draws hundreds of thousands of tourists to the grandstands of the renowned Marques de Sapucai Sambadrome.

But the smaller, yet still flamboyant, organized street parades will not be held, according to Reuters News Service, due to rising COVID-19 numbers and the threat of the spread of the Omicron variant.

Last year, all events associated with Carnival, including the samba parade, were canceled.

“The street carnival, by its very nature, due to the democratic aspect it has, makes it impossible to exercise any kind of inspection,” Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes said in a live address.

As wild as Carnival – or Carnavale – can be in Brazil, it is a much-revered tradition. This is despite its juxtaposition as a free-for-all party coming just days before Roman Catholics begin the most solemn period in their religion – the 40 days of sacrifice, fasting and repentance prior to Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Other cities in Brazil have also canceled or toned down their Carnival celebrations, including Salvador and Belo Horizonte. In Sao Paulo, the city will now host its street parades in its sprawling Formula 1 racetrack.