Copacabana Beach is the famous Rio de Janeiro shoreline where huge crowds gather for New Year's Eve fireworks.
The beach lies in the Copacabana neighborhood on Rio's southern Atlantic coast. Its broad crescent-shaped shoreline, promenade, hotels, and transport links make it a natural setting for a large public celebration. The event is commonly called Réveillon de Copacabana.
Celebrations typically include live music, people dressed in white, religious and cultural offerings to Iemanjá, and a major fireworks display launched from barges offshore. The sea-based launch allows fireworks to be viewed across the long beach while reducing the need for launch equipment among spectators.
Attendance figures vary by year and by how organizers count the crowd, but the celebration is consistently described as one of the world's largest New Year's Eve gatherings. Copacabana should not be confused with nearby Ipanema Beach, another famous Rio shoreline with its own identity and neighborhoods.