Rio Carnival is a wild 4 day celebration, 40 days before Easter. It officially starts on Saturday and finishes on Fat Tuesday with the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday after which one is supposed to abstain from all bodily pleasures. Carnival with all its excesses, celebrated as a profane event, can be considered an act of farewell to the pleasures of the flesh. It usually happens in February, the hottest month in the Southern Hemisphere, when the Rio summer is at its peak.

There are carnival celebrations in virtually every corner of Brazil, the best-known ones taking place in Recife together with the neighboring Olinda (in the North of Brazil) and Salvador. But the biggest and most famous carnival is undoubtedly the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

Rio Carnival 2012
It starts on Friday February 17th 2012 and ends on Ash Wednesday February 22th 2012

All about Rio Carnival 2012 - Know everything here about the 2012 Carnival in Rio de Janeiro: programs, events and venues with descriptions recomendations , schedules and ticket details.

The Carnival balls play an important role in Rio's carnival calendar. With a wide range of themes, the Scala balls can be an excellent option for those looking for fun in an affordable way.

The Magic Ball at the Copacabana Palacet Hotel is the most sumptuous party of the entire calendar.

Rio Scala Balls
Nightly, from Thursday, February 16th to Tuesday February 21th, have all the fun at the Scala Balls.

Magic Ball at the Copacabana Palace 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012 - 11 PM to 4 AM.
The most glamorous party in Rio.
The beach front hotel opens its magnificent salons to the rich and famous. All decorated in a special theme, signed by the artist Zeka Marquez.