Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro is famous for enormous New Year’s Eve fireworks and crowds dressed in white. Réveillon de Copacabana is one of Brazil’s best-known public celebrations.
Millions of people may gather along the shoreline, where fireworks are launched from barges offshore. The floating launch platforms help spread the display across the broad beach and reduce the need to fire everything from the sand. Concert stages and sound systems extend the party through the night.
White clothing is associated with peace and renewal, and many participants also honor Afro-Brazilian traditions by offering flowers to Iemanjá, a sea-associated orisha. Customs vary among individuals, so the beach gathering is both a secular spectacle and a place where religious practices appear.
Attendance figures differ by year and counting method. Copacabana is in Rio’s South Zone and is separate from nearby Ipanema, another famous beach that is not the usual name for this celebration.