Copacabana Beach is the main gathering place for Rio de Janeiro's famous Réveillon celebration.
Réveillon is the Portuguese term commonly used in Brazil for the New Year's Eve festivities. Rio's celebration at Copacabana attracts enormous crowds for concerts, fireworks, and rituals connected with Afro-Brazilian and broader Brazilian culture. Many participants wear white, a color widely associated with peace and renewal, and some make offerings to Iemanjá, a sea-associated figure in Afro-Brazilian religious traditions.
The beach's broad crescent shoreline and waterfront hotels make it a natural stage for a large public event. Fireworks are launched over the water, allowing spectators along the beach and nearby neighborhoods to see the display.
Copacabana is sometimes confused with Ipanema because both are famous Rio beaches. Ipanema is also a major tourist destination, but the iconic mass Réveillon gathering is associated with Copacabana Beach.