What is the Portuguese name for the large decorative floats used in Rio de Janeiro Carnival parades?

The large decorative floats used in Rio de Janeiro Carnival parades are called carros alegóricos.

Carros alegóricos are themed parade vehicles designed to visualize a samba school’s enredo, or story theme. They may carry sculptural figures, performers, lighting, moving parts, and extensive decoration. Their scale allows a school to turn historical episodes, cultural traditions, landscapes, or imagined worlds into images that can be seen across the Sambadrome.

The term is often translated as “allegorical floats,” because the structures symbolize or illustrate ideas from the parade’s narrative. They form part of a larger presentation that also includes individual costume groups, known as alas, the percussion section, the flag-bearing couple, and the school’s samba. Floats are assembled and decorated by specialist production teams, often at Cidade do Samba, the Carnival production complex in Rio’s Gamboa neighborhood.