Rio de Janeiro hosts Brazil's famous New Year's Eve fireworks and white-clothing celebration at Copacabana Beach.
The event centers on Copacabana, a crescent-shaped beach in Rio's South Zone. Huge crowds gather along the shore for concerts, fireworks launched from offshore barges, and celebrations that continue into the early hours. Wearing white is a widespread custom associated with peace, renewal, and good fortune.
Many participants also make offerings or prayers connected with Afro-Brazilian religious traditions, especially to Iemanjá, a sea-associated deity honored by some worshippers. People may place flowers or other offerings near the water, although practices differ among individuals and religious communities.
The celebration is often described as one of the world's largest New Year's Eve parties. Its scale varies from year to year because of weather, public safety rules, and event planning. Rio's fireworks are not the same event as São Paulo's major celebration on Avenida Paulista, another large Brazilian New Year's gathering.