Venue: Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Date: 31 December, 2015
The city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is famous for being the Carnival Capital of the world. Brazil is also famous for its New Year’s Eve celebrations and more than 2 million people gather around the Copacabana Beach in Rio for bringing in the New Year in the true Brazilian style. These New Year’s Eve celebrations are generally known as Reveillon and it is the biggest free party organized in Brazil.
The present crowds, who are traditionally dressed in white colored clothes, are entertained by world- famous bands with massive fireworks and sparkles making the midnight view of the Copacabana Beach even more enticing and picturesque.
The city of Rio de Janeiro is considered to be one of the best places on earth to ring in the New Year’s Eve. On the day of the Reveillon, people gather around the Copacabana Beach during the daytime of 31 December in order to honor the Afro- Brazilian sea goddess of motherhood and fertility, Lemanja. People present here offer candles as well as flowers into the ocean as their way of honoring their goddess.
Usually, the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Rio de Janeiro begin at around 7 pm with numerous world- renowned bands as well as DJs kicking off at the Copacabana Beach across all the official stages set up here. Two of the main stages where performances are held include one across Rua Santa Clara and the second one in front of the Copacabana Palace.
There are numerous other stages set up along the 4km stretch of the Copacabana Beach between the famous Copacabana Fortress as well as the Leme. The live rock music events, samba performances, electronic music as well as Brazilian pop songs cater to the music and artistic taste of one and all.
At midnight, visitors can savor a 20 minute fireworks display which is believed to blast out the ending year and welcomes the New Year with hopes of prosperity, joy and celebrations.