What Rio de Janeiro beach hosts Brazil's famous Réveillon celebration?

Copacabana Beach hosts Rio de Janeiro's famous Réveillon New Year's Eve celebration.

Réveillon is the Portuguese term commonly used for New Year's Eve celebrations in Brazil. Rio's best-known gathering takes place along Copacabana Beach, where large crowds watch fireworks over the Atlantic and attend free concerts and other public events. The beach's broad crescent and waterfront promenade make it suited to a massive open-air celebration.

Many attendees wear white, a color associated with peace and renewal in Brazilian New Year's customs. Some participants also follow Afro-Brazilian traditions, such as offerings to Iemanjá, the orixá associated with the sea, although practices vary among individuals and communities.

Copacabana's celebration is sometimes confused with Rio's Carnival, but the occasions are separate. Carnival is a later festival season with parades and samba-school competitions; Réveillon takes place at the turn of December 31 to January 1. Fireworks are a central part of the beach event.