Brazil’s best-known New Year’s Eve celebration on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach is called Réveillon.
Réveillon is the Portuguese term commonly used for New Year’s Eve festivities in Brazil. Rio’s celebration combines huge crowds, live music, fireworks, and a beach setting that makes it one of the country’s most recognizable annual events.
Many participants wear white, a practice often associated with peace and good fortune. Some people also honor Afro-Brazilian religious traditions by making offerings or jumping waves, although customs vary widely among individuals and communities.
The event is sometimes confused with Carnaval because both feature music, crowds, and elaborate public celebrations. Carnaval is a separate festival held before Lent, while Réveillon specifically marks the passage from December 31 to January 1.