Copacabana Beach hosts Rio de Janeiro’s famous Réveillon fireworks and white-clothing New Year’s Eve celebration.
Réveillon is the Portuguese term commonly used in Brazil for New Year’s Eve festivities. Copacabana’s celebration takes place along the broad crescent-shaped beach in Rio de Janeiro and combines concerts, crowds, religious offerings, and a major fireworks display launched from offshore barges.
Many participants wear white, a color associated with peace and renewal, and some honor Afro-Brazilian traditions by placing flowers or offerings in the sea for Iemanjá. These customs coexist with secular concerts and the city’s large public countdown.
Copacabana is sometimes confused with Ipanema, another famous Rio beach. Ipanema is nearby and culturally prominent, but the internationally recognized mass Réveillon celebration is centered on Copacabana Beach.