Viradouro wins Rio Carnival title

Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival season culminated with the Champions’ Parade at the Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí, where the six highest-scoring samba schools from the Special Group returned for a final showcase. Unidos do Viradouro, closing the night with a dazzling display, was declared champion, securing its fourth Rio title after victories in 1997, 2020 and 2024. Beija-Flor de Nilópolis finished second, with Vila Isabel placing third on a tiebreak.

Twelve schools had competed in the Special Group for the annual crown; the top-ranked ensembles earned the right to perform again in front of packed stands for the ceremonial parade. Spectators filled the avenue, waving flags and joining dancers, drummers and flag bearers as towering floats, elaborate costumes and choreographed sequences replayed the themes that had been judged across the week. Fireworks and percussion punctuated the procession as performers, relieved of competitive pressure, delivered heightened energy and showmanship.

Judges scored entries on criteria including harmony, rhythm, costumes, floats and overall presentation; months of preparation by schools’ members, artisans and musicians culminated in the evening’s pageant. Organizers and city officials highlighted Carnival’s wide cultural and economic impact, noting its role in supporting thousands of jobs in costume design, music production and event staging, and drawing both domestic and international visitors.

Security and logistical teams oversaw crowd management throughout the celebrations, while street blocos and Sambadrome events kept the city in near-constant revelry. The champions’ parade served both as a victory lap for the top schools and a public reaffirmation of Carnival’s traditions: storytelling through samba, community mobilization, and spectacle. For Viradouro, the win reinforced its place among Rio’s elite samba institutions; for audiences, the night offered one last immersion in the pageantry and rhythm that define Carnival. As the final notes faded, performers and fans celebrated another season of artistic competition and cultural display that sustains Rio’s global Carnival reputation.