Sambadrome Marquês de SapucaÃ
The Sambodromo in Rio de Janeiro, with full name Sambodromo Marquês da Sapucai (hence often called shortly Sapucaí ), officially Passarela Professor Darcy Ribeiro, the 1983, initiated by Governor Leonel Brizola and 1984, built by Oscar Niemeyer Tribune street in the district Estácio in which Desfile called the parade and competition of samba schools in carnival takes place. The arena is about 700 meters long and offers 88,500 spectators. Before building the Sambódromo the move took place on Avenida Rio Branco in the center of Rio.
Similar buildings with the same function were also built in other carnival centers, the most important in São Paulo ( Sambodromo do Anhembi ).
The Samba competitions
The official Mardi Gras parades take place annually before the start of Lent on four consecutive nights. In this period occurred in Sambódromo samba schools of 20 clock until the early morning hours in competition against each other. The organizational process is divided into the performances of samba schools in the Grupo de Acesso A for the Saturday, the height of which the Grupo Especial Sundays and Mondays, and finally those of the Grupo de Acesso B on Tuesday. The samba schools present themselves for 90 minutes each. In the parades occur up to 6000 dancers and samba drummers who will be awarded by a jury. Ticket prices start as low as the equivalent of € 3 in the cheapest category.
The popular carnival celebrations are transmitted nationwide throughout Brazil on television.
Outside of the carnival the Sambódromo is used by the Samba schools for training purposes.