Cidade do Samba is Rio de Janeiro's Carnival costume and float manufacturing complex. Located near Rio's docks, it can be visited year round and hosts Carnival shows on Thursdays.
Going to Cidade do Samba is an excellent way to enjoy the magic of Rio de Janeiro Carnival any time of the year.
The mandala-shaped Cidade do Samba is in Gamboa, the birthplace of Rio de Janeiro samba. The location was chosen as a way to honor the consecrated soil where slaves newly arrived from Africa used to play their drums to remember the land they would never see again.
The Valongo area which is now occupied by Gamboa, Saúde and Santo Cristo was where slaves arrived and waited before being taken to farms and mines as of the 17th century. Many slaves who perished after crossing the Atlantic were buried in the area. Slave bones were found in excavations near Cidade do Samba, in a site that is now listed as a city heritage.
If you visit in the daytime, you can tour the Samba Factory and see where the floats and costumes are made. The tour is carried out on a 26-foot high, glass-lined walkway which runs along the manufacturing units.
At Barracão 1, buy Carnival accessories and souvenirs made by people from local communities, who participate in several creative courses and workshops offered at Cidade do Samba.
Snack bars are available.
At night, go to the weekly Carnival show, on during part of the year (schedules vary). The ticket includes a buffet dinner and participation in a Carnival parade at Cidade do Samba.
Watch a brief Cidade do Samba video (with English subtitles) by VRio.
To view lots of photos of the complex and events, go to the Cidade do Samba website and click on Fotos in the menu to the left.
View an aerial photo of Cidade do Samba on the Riotur website.
Rua Rivadávia Correa 60
Gamboa
Rio de Janeiro - RJ
Phone: 55-21-2213-2503/2213-2546
E-mail: eventos@cdsrj.com.br/reservas@cdsrj.com.br
Cidade do Samba is located by Warehouse (Armazém) 11 at the Rio de Janeiro docks. From Barra da Tijuca, take Linha Amarela (the Yellow Freeway); from the South Side, Aterro do Flamengo and Avenida Perimetral.
Tue-Sat 10a-5p
Shows: Thur 8p. Attractions and schedule are subject to changes. Check the show schedule on cidadedosambarj.globo.com.
Attention: Cidade do Samba will not open on Nov.19, 2008.
R$10 for daytime visits (seniors over 65 pay R$5).
Shows: R$150 (buffet dinner included); R$75 for seniors over 65.
