What is the name of Rio de Janeiro Carnival’s parade celebrating the winning samba schools?

Rio de Janeiro Carnival’s parade celebrating the winning samba schools is called the Champions’ Parade.

The event takes place after the main competitive parades and brings back the highest-ranked samba schools from the elite competition. It is a celebratory showcase rather than another round of judging for the main title.

The parade is commonly known in Portuguese as the Desfile das Campeãs, meaning “Parade of the Champions.” The schools appear again in the Sambadrome, allowing performers and spectators to celebrate the results in a less competitive atmosphere.

A common mix-up is to treat the Champions’ Parade as the same event as the main Special Group competition. The competitive parades determine the rankings; the later parade honors the leading schools and gives them another opportunity to perform.