The Marques de Sapucai Sambódromo or Avenida Marques de Sapucai or Passarela do Samba is an avenue surrounded by bleachers of the carnival parade of the best samba schools of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is located west of downtown Rio de Janeiro. The avenue has just a dozen meters wide for about 800 meters long and there are bleachers which sides are open and there are boxes on three levels and the capacity is just over 80,000 people. The samba schools that parade are judged each year to choose which one will be best for 1 year. At each end, there is a place for preparation of dancers, floats, costumes and musical instruments. The parade of each school finished at Square of Apotheosis where there is also the museum of the samba. Before the existence of the Sambodromo (1984), the stands were to be assembled and disassembled every year and there wasn’t a specific place to do it. The avenue has a lot of traffic during the year but during the carnival is completely closed. Oscar Niemeyer was the architect who directed the project. The place will be used for the Summer Olympic Games this year for the marathon and archery.
Tips
Before buying tickets, learn much about the place cause you have to be able to see the parade. The best seats are in the middle or at the end of the avenue.
You have bars, places to eat something and toilets in each sector of the sambodromo. Behind the stands, there is another street with fast food, ice cream, souvenir shops and other toilets. Bring toilet paper in case it would be finished due to the length of the parade that usually ends up with the sunrise.
You can bring your own camera but professional cameras are prohibited.
Check for the Sambodromo Transfer that will give you the security of travel. In the sambodromo, there is no problem, there is security everywhere.
