A riot of flesh, sweat and glitter: Rio de Janeiro has captured the carnival

Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, which is called the greatest show on the planet, with thousands of samba dancers in incredible costumes started on Friday, February 9. The sparkling extravaganza, which will last until February 19, began on Sambodrom Street. Despite the sweltering heat, 72 thousand spectators gathered for the holiday. Even those who didn't get tickets came to see the best samba dancers.

The city authorities expect that this year the event will attract up to one and a half million tourists, and a total of 6 million people will take part in the costume party.

The main event of the carnival will traditionally be a competition-parade of 12 samba schools. Each one shows the audience a whole performance with complex choreography, scenery and fantastic costumes. Especially for the carnival, samba schools order new samba compositions that correspond to the theme of this year's event.