Rio de Janeiro hosts the world’s largest New Year’s Eve street party, according to Guinness World Records.
The celebration takes place primarily around Copacabana Beach and is known in Brazil as Réveillon. Huge crowds gather for concerts, religious and cultural ceremonies, and fireworks launched over the water. Guinness has listed the event among the largest New Year’s Eve celebrations, with attendance reaching millions in some years.
Rio’s scale comes from the beach setting, free public access, extensive entertainment, and its importance in Brazilian popular culture. Many attendees wear white, and some honor Iemanjá, a figure associated with the sea in Afro-Brazilian religious traditions.
Attendance figures vary depending on weather, security arrangements, counting methods, and whether nearby areas are included. That is why individual years can produce different totals. The record description refers to the street-party event, not simply to the largest fireworks display or the most televised countdown.