In Brazil's New Year's Eve celebration, the famous Rio de Janeiro beach where crowds gather is Copacabana Beach.
Rio’s Réveillon celebration is centered on Copacabana, where enormous crowds traditionally watch fireworks over the Atlantic Ocean. Concerts and other public events are staged along the beachfront, making the celebration one of the largest New Year gatherings in the world.
Many participants wear white, a practice commonly associated with wishes for peace and renewal. Some people also follow Afro-Brazilian religious traditions, such as offering flowers to Iemanjá, a deity associated with the sea in Umbanda and Candomblé contexts.
Ipanema and Leblon are also famous Rio beaches, but they are separate from Copacabana. The beach’s crescent-shaped shoreline and the densely built neighborhood behind it help create the distinctive setting shown in international coverage.