Modernism, samba and the Carnival: Rio’s arts

About Modernism, samba and the Carnival: Rio’s arts

By the ULTIMATE Rio de Janeiro Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Rio’s arts run from the Belle Époque to the bossa nova. On the Cinelândia, the Theatro Municipal and the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes face each other; along the bay, the MAM, founded in 1948, sits in its modernist building in the Flamengo park, with gardens by Roberto Burle Marx; at the port, the MAR tells the story of the city in art. Music is everywhere: in the concert hall of the Sala Cecília Meireles, at Circo Voador under the arches, in the jazz clubs of Copacabana, and above all in the samba schools, whose Carnival parades fill the Sambódromo each February.

The museums

The MAR, at Praça Mauá, the MAM, on the Avenida Infante Dom Henrique in the Flamengo park, the CCBB, opened in 1989 at Rua Primeiro de Março 66, and the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes on the Cinelândia. In Santa Teresa, the Museu da Chácara do Céu shows a collector’s house and its art. The Instituto Moreira Salles’s house in Gávea is closed for works, with its Rio programme in partner venues.

The stages

The Theatro Municipal for opera, ballet and symphony; the Sala Cecília Meireles, on the Largo da Lapa, for chamber music; the Cidade das Artes in Barra for orchestras and big productions; Circo Voador and Blue Note Rio for Brazilian music.

Combine the MAR with the Museu do Amanhã next door, and book the Theatro Municipal for a performance, not just a tour.

Samba and the Carnival

The samba schools of LIESA parade at the Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí; in 2027 the Special Group parades on 7, 8 and 9 February, in LIESA’s own calendar. Street parties, the blocos, fill the city in the days around them.

Our advice: for the Carnival, buy Sambódromo tickets only from LIESA’s official channels.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Modernism, samba and the Carnival: Rio’s arts before you go.