Rio de Janeiro hosts Brazil’s famous New Year’s Eve Réveillon celebration at Copacabana Beach.
Réveillon in Rio is centered on the broad shoreline of Copacabana, where huge crowds gather for concerts, midnight fireworks and celebrations that continue into the early hours. The beach’s open setting allows the fireworks to be launched offshore over the Atlantic Ocean.
Many attendees wear white, a color associated with peace and renewal, and some participants make offerings or ceremonial gestures connected with Afro-Brazilian traditions, especially those honoring Iemanjá, the sea-associated deity. These customs vary among individuals and communities.
Copacabana’s celebration is sometimes described simply as “Rio’s carnival,” but it is separate from the city’s Carnival festivities, which take place later in the year. Rio’s New Year’s Eve event is specifically called Réveillon and is one of Brazil’s most internationally recognized holiday gatherings.