Rio at Carnival: what to pack for the heat, the crowds and the street parties

The story

It’s seven in the morning and the street party (the bloco) has already swallowed the whole avenue. A brass band plays the same four songs on repeat, someone hands you a fan made of cardboard, and a man dressed as a sunflower asks if you’ve seen his friends. You haven’t. Nobody has seen anyone’s friends since six.

By ten the sun is fierce. It’s 31 °C in the shade and there is no shade. You’re glad you wore the lightest shirt you own and a cap, and gladder still that your phone is in a pouch under your shirt instead of your back pocket, because the crowd moves like water and hands brush against you all the time.

At four the sky turns the color of slate and the rain arrives all at once, warm and heavy. The bloco doesn’t stop; it cheers. Your sneakers, the old ones you packed on purpose, are soaked in seconds, and you’re wearing nothing that minds getting wet. Twenty minutes later the sun is back and the street is steaming.

That night you go to the Sambadrome, where the parades run until the sky gets light again. You’ve brought a small bag with a bottle of water, a snack, earplugs and a light layer for the breeze at dawn. The friends in the sunflower costume, you notice, found each other.

Carnival rewards the traveler who carries almost nothing: light clothes, one card, a little cash, and a phone that’s hard to grab and doesn’t care about rain.

What to pack

Pack for heat, sudden rain and crowds, in that order.

Clothes

• Light, breathable tops and shorts. You’ll sweat through two outfits a day, so pack more tops than you think.
• A costume, or a few pieces to build one. Glitter, flower crowns and colorful shirts are sold everywhere in Rio; buying there is part of the fun.
• Swimwear for the beach days in between. Buy a canga (the Brazilian sarong-towel) on the beach.
• One light long-sleeved layer for the Sambadrome at dawn and air-conditioned places.

Shoes

• Closed sneakers you don’t mind ruining. Flip-flops are a bad idea in a moving crowd: your toes are at the mercy of everyone else’s feet.
• Sandals for the beach and the evenings.

For the heat and the rain

• Sunscreen (SPF 50), a cap or hat and sunglasses you won’t miss if you lose them.
• A refillable bottle. Drink water between everything else you drink.
• A waterproof phone pouch and a light poncho.
• Mosquito repellent: summer is dengue season in Brazil.

For the crowds

• A pouch or money belt worn under your clothes, for one card, some cash and your phone.
• Leave the passport in the hotel safe and carry a copy or a photo of it.
• Earplugs, for the drums at arm’s length and for sleeping afterwards.
• Wet wipes and hand sanitizer.

Documents, money and tech

• Passport, and a copy.
• One card for the street and one kept in the hotel.
• Small bills in reais for street vendors, although many take Pix (Brazil’s instant payment) and cards.
• A power bank. Some travelers carry an old spare phone for the blocos.

Good to know

• Weather: February in Rio runs from about 24 to 33 °C (75 to 91 °F), humid, with short, heavy storms in the afternoon.
• Plugs: type N (and C) plugs. Rio’s sockets are 127 V; some Brazilian cities use 220 V. Most phone and laptop chargers handle both, but check hair dryers and straighteners.
• Money: Brazilian real (BRL). Cards and Pix work almost everywhere.
• Entry: some nationalities need an e-visa for Brazil. Check the rules for your passport before you book.
• Timing: Carnival falls in February or early March, and the street parties start weeks before the parades. Hotels fill up months ahead.