São Paulo's carnival competition

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1:08Welcome to the documentary In the Studio from the BBC World Service. I'm Tom Rain, and for the next three weeks, I'll be following the preparations of one of San Paolo's top samba schools, Agui Ajiodo, as they gear up to compete for their most important event of the year, parading in the iconic San Paolo samba drone in the attendance of thousands of people and millions more watching on TV. across Brazil. They'll be competing against 13 of the samba schools in the Grupo Especial, the premier division of samba schools in the city of São Paulo. The schools will be judged on everything from their percussion, composition and choreography, to their technical skill, their costumes, and of course, their floats, that have been painstakingly designed, built and painted over the course of the last year.

1:53The performance itself will only last an hour, but it will stay in the hearts, minds and memories of people across Brazil.

2:04So we begin here on the 28th of January, it's 2026, and we're at the Fabrica do Samba, or the Samba Factory. It's a long road, essentially, of specially built warehouses in São Paulo, located just by the Chete River, and just a stone's throw away from the Anembe Samba Drome, where the samba schools will be performing during carnival. I'm meeting up with Tiago Bombonacci, who is one of the media representatives for the League of Samba Schools in Sao Paulo, which is the organising committee of Sao Paulo's carnival parade for the last 38 years. Hey, Tiago, how's it been? I'm very well, how are you?

2:44Nice to have you here. Yeah, thanks for having me. The first thing you see when you walk into the League office are the flags of the 32 samba schools that form Sao Paulo's Independent League of Samba Schools, as well as a replica trophy given to the winner of the special group. The 32 schools are divided between three divisions with 14 schools in the special group, 8 in access 1 and 10 in access 2. It works sort of like a football league with schools being promoted and relegated based on their performance at the carnival parade that year. You just brought me into a meeting room that kind of looks like a football press conference area.

3:21It's very serious. Yeah, because carnival is a party but it's serious too, you know. My name is Thiago Mombonacci and I'm the communication manager of Liga SP. Liga SP is a company that organizes the carnival in SambaDrome. What is a Samba School? Samba School is a place where people go to learn about Samba, about carnival, about humanity. We go to rehearsal, our dance, our singing skills. We go to prepare to our parade. But first of all, we go there to act as a community. And this makes us better person, better workers, better as a human being. So how does it work every year for the Samba Schools?

4:15What is their task? Their task is to choose a theme, transform this theme into floats and costume and the music. You know, we call Samba Enredo because Enredo is a theme. So Samba Enredo is like music for the theme, okay? It's their main task. Some schools like to talk about a musician, an actor, an actress. Others go to religious themes. Others go to Brazilian things, you know, like cities, food, and so on. To talk about the day of the parades, we have to talk about one year before the parade, you know. So the school builds their floats, their costumes. the whole year working so when the day comes they are ready to impress to dance to sing and to fight for the first position is it quite competitive then a lot a lot when the parades start it's all about competition and nothing else at this stage of the game samba schools are incredibly secretive and access is rarely given to see the floats before the actual parade.

5:42But after Tiago had a few words, he was able to take me into the factory of one of the other samba schools from the Grupo Especial, Estrella del Tercero Millenio. They were founded in 1998 and come from the far southern neighbourhood of Grajaú. We were greeted by Lara, who agreed to take us around their floats for this year's parade. What do you think about them? It's fantastic, It's absolutely brilliant. So we've got what looks like a huge guy with very detailed abs and a sword and shield and helmet. Do you have these abs? No, no. How tall are these floats then, approximately? Quanto metros Lara?

6:2212 metres. So they're 10 tonnes weight, each of these. Wow. Wide, 10 metres. Yeah. They are telling the story about Paulo Cesar Pinheiro. He's a songwriter famous in Brazil. So the floats are about his history, his legacy to the Brazilian and the world music, you know. So you can see his life in the floats. How long will this have taken to build? About five and seven months. Wow.

7:01So I'd love to know how these floats are actually built. How do they actually start? What is the first step of building a float like this? The first step is cutting the foam. The foam? Foam, yeah. So you can see here, we have these rectangles of foam, and they're getting forms, hands, eyes, heads, feet, and they mix up together and make the structures you see. So these are all just made from foam? Yeah. Really? Is it quite a strong material then? Lara told me how the foam gets strong after covering it with a type of plaster or papier mache. They then took me to see the school's carnavalesco, or carnival designer, Murilo Lobo, to describe in more detail about the construction of the floats.

7:52He was sat in an office in the back room of their factory, his desk and walls littered with hundreds of intricate sketches above the school's floats and costumes. So you've shown me some sketches of this float.

8:09Murillo explained to me how they first come up with the theme before building the chassis from steel. They then sculpt each detachable piece of the float from styrofoam before covering it with papier-mâché or plaster, before then sanding, painting and decorating. The finished pieces are then taken down so that they can be easily transported by trucks and tractors to the SambaDrome. And when they get there, they can rebuild them easily. That must be so much work. It's a lot of work. In recent years, floats have become increasingly more extravagant, relying on the use of intricate lighting and special effects.

8:45Alongside painting and decoration, this is a process which is done towards the end of float building. Tiago took me over to the Dragões da Real Samba School to get a glimpse of their particularly special floats this year, celebrating the Ikami Abbas, legendary indigenous female warriors who lived on the banks of the Amazon River. Wow, this is so impressive. So talk to us about what we can see right now, Tiago. This is incredible. It's huge. It's wonderful. The abrialas, the first float of the school. And there are all sorts of animals, all depicted here. We've got, I think, orange chameleons. and then right in front as well we've got the big crocodile mouth as well.

9:26It's fantastic. They will be open and closing. No, the jaws. Yeah, yeah. They will be open and closing during the parade. Yeah. So we've got Binho here as well. Tudo bem? Tudo bem? Para de te conhecer. So Binho here is one of the experts for the lighting of the floats. How long does it take to light up an entire float?

9:51The first float, the Abrialas, is usually bigger, up to 60 metres, and Binyu takes 30 days to light it up. 60 metres of cables? Yeah. Wow. And now we're looking at the, I guess it's the pièce de résistance, no, of the floats. You've got, because it's Dragões da Real, the Samba school, you've got this huge depiction of a dragon, and Binyu just telling me that there's going to be smoke coming out of the nose. At 9 metres tall and 12 metres wide, it's the biggest float that the school have ever constructed. It's a furious, angry dragon that has been designed to criticise the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

10:32And as it moves down the avenue, it'll be operated by four people from the inside using a complex system of cables and pulleys to make the head, wings and tail move. You've got a smoke machine inside the float.

10:48Thiago, thanks so much for having me here. It's been an absolute treat to see everything being constructed and in action. And I can't wait to see you again on the 14th. Thank you, Tom. You're welcome to come back whenever you want. Feel like this is your home because it is. Really. The school that I've decided to follow is Águia de Oro. Six years ago, I studied here in Sao Paulo and attended the Samba Drome for the Desfile das Campeñas, or the Champions Parade, where the top seven schools from the special group are called back to perform once again. In that year, 2020, Agui Gioro took home the top prize for the first time in their history with their theme parade titled Knowledge is Power, telling the story of the evolution of human knowledge from ancient times to modern day.

11:38They were founded in 1976 in the Pompeia neighbourhood of São Paulo and this year they're going with Amsterdam, City of Liberty celebrating the city's values of freedom, tolerance and modernity I headed to the Ensayo Tecnico or Technical Rehearsal to get a first glimpse of their performance

11:59I then headed over to the Concentração or Concentration Area which is a holding pen for the schools before the parade

12:10The first thing you see is a sea of colour from the thousands of Samba School members and a wall of sound from the drum sections, warming up before heading out to parade.

12:22Samba schools are generally split up into many different sections, known as alas. Each ala is a group of participants who wear the same costume and perform together as a coordinated block within the parade, as part of the general theme. Agia de Oro have 13 different alas, each with their own unique identity and history, and each one has their own take on the Amsterdam theme. I was met by Agia's press officer, Fernando Perez, who took me to meet his daughter, Bia, who was part of the drum section. Hey, Bia. Hello. How are you? I'm fine, and you? Yeah, very well, thank you. So how are you feeling before you go out to perform?

12:59So I'm feeling very anxious because it's a very serious rehearsal. rehearsal. We are rehearsal for this time since July. So you're in the bateria, the drum section. Tell me a bit about the drum section. Well, I play chocalho. It's like we have to shake it very well for a long time. So I play chocalho for about five years. It's a very cool instrument. I love this instrument because we have to dance, to smile all the time. It's like all the energy about it. It's amazing. I love this. It's pretty to see because it's all dance, it's all choreographed. It's amazing. How do you know the rhythm is perfect when you're playing with another 240 drummers?

13:42Well, we have a mechanism to count all the rhythm we are doing. So we have to look at each other all the time because we have to listen and see, especially when the sound is like off or in like it's all the connection with each other it's like this kind of thing well good luck be out hope you absolutely smash it here yes oh it's amazing being in the drummer section it's like amazing it's a feeling you have to experience to know With the help of Bia's mum, Patricia, I also spoke to Ana Carolina, who is one of the passistas. Passistas are a group of skilled dancers who are specifically judged on their choreography in keeping with the school's theme.

14:34What is a passista?

14:39The role of a passista is men do a dance, just respecting the samba of the school, but of course introducing the school to the audience that is watching us. Tell me a bit about the choreography of this particular year, about Amsterdam. The best of this choreography is I'm crazy. Oh, because it's all about liberty, right? Liberdade. Liberdade. And I could see the outfit as well, you've got sunflowers. Sunflowers. Like the Van Gogh painting. Van Gogh, yes. How do you feel ahead of going out there on the pista? How does it make you feel in your body? I'm very excited, very happy.

15:26With 20 minutes to go before performing, Biersman Patricia then took me through the busy concentration area. It was back-to-back with people everywhere, tensions building and ALAS getting organised into their groups. Here we have 300 percussionists that are preparing themselves to the rehearsal. Oh, the sound is just incredible here. It's so immersive. It's just an absolute sea of people. The sky is incredibly pink. It's a really amazing experience to be here.

15:59So the tension is building up slowly. The percussionists are just trying out their instruments, seeing what works, seeing if they can get a rhythm together. Good luck, Bia. Good luck. After a few more practice sessions, proceedings begin with Agui Ate Ouro's percussionists and musicians performing the school's anthem. What originally felt like chaos becomes incredibly focused.

16:26This is the president of Agui Ate Ouro, Sidney Cariolo, who is basically getting the crowds ready, getting the school ready to go. Then, after the president's speech, it's showtime. The school has an hour and five minutes to make their way down the pista. The flow, or evolución of the school, is incredibly important, as judges are looking for a continuous, smooth movement along the runway. Not too fast, not too slow. And if they go over the allotted time, they'll lose precious points in the judging. The one thing that has impressed me a lot is it's just completely endless. You think that it's over and another hundred people are getting ready to dance and seeing this samba in Hedo and coming through the pista, it's absolutely incredible.

17:14Everything's ended here at the NNB Samba Drome, at least for Agee de Oro. Everyone's sort of like frantically going around, putting the drums in the back of the wagon. People are trying to get beers and water because it's so warm here. And I found beer again. Hello. How are you doing? I'm fine. I'm just tired now. How did that go for you, your performance? Well, it did amazing. I was unexpected that because the energy was so good and I was so happy so happy What makes a good rehearsal for you? What do you think makes a good rehearsal? I think the energy if there are no mistakes because we don't have any mistakes in this rehearsal just the vibe it's amazing I see you in the middle of the rehearsal I was like oh!

18:08I know him, you are with my dad in this time I was like I can't even say hi I know because he was so, that wouldn't have been good you need to be so concentrated when I'm concentrated I was like mad my face was screaming like I'm angry but I'm not, I was like just I have to do this right how on earth do you shake the chokali for an hour because I kind of see what you mean you've got holding this big stick with sort of mini symbols in the middle of it and you're doing that for an entire hour. Yeah. How? We have like a training in the whole year. So when we arrive in here, we're like, oh, we are just training.

18:48We are doing like we love. So it's like all week, even since July, I think. So we are prepared for it. And what happens now between now and the 14th of February? We have more rehearsals. so we have rehearsals in the next Tuesday and Sunday tomorrow we have a rehearsal too and the drums have two rehearsals tomorrow so like prepared for and just inside for the big day so Bia has actually brought me a Shikalju to try out, she's going to give me a bit of a Shikalju lesson yes okay So we have to move your arms to the front in the row. Like twice. Yes. Yes. So we have to move to the front first. So arms out and then arms back in again.

19:47Yes. Like this. Yes. Basically that. So you have to move your arms for a couple of times doing that. You guys do it so quickly. Yes. Think of big heart. Okay. So you move your arms thinking of that, of this rhythm. Okay, shall I try it again? Yes, please. Yes, a little bit slow, but it's on the way. Slow, really? Slower, yes. Okay. Yes. I don't have rhythm, do I? I'm going to keep trying. I need to keep trying, okay. It's basically that. Okay, correct. Yes. Yes! This is more easy. I'm doing it. Yes! This is more easy than I think. No, not for an hour. Definitely not. Yeah. I think I'm a good teacher.

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22:06It was then the 6th of February, and I decided to come back to the samba factory on a very important day for Aguiagiodo. The floats were being taken down and moved to the samba drum, ready for the performance. We are totally in a hurry. I bumped into Tiago, who was incredibly busy. a bit tired and a little stressed, but in good spirits. The main reason I've come is to meet Aguiar de Oro's Carnivalescu for this year, Alessandri Luzada.

22:38The Carnivalescu, or Carnival Designer, is responsible for the entire concept of a carnival parade. They oversee the design and creation of costumes, floats, and the overall aesthetic theme. Alessandri is 68 years old. He's a slim figure who walked with a cane and is an incredibly contemplative person. When I met him, he was sat on a plastic chair in his spot at the back of the Aguiljodo factory, watching the cars go by on the adjacent road. Alessandri lives and breathes carnival. He grew up in Niteroi, the adjacent city next to Rio de Janeiro, and has been creating carnivals since the 1980s. He's won titles in both São Paulo and Rio and shaped generations of artists.

23:23In fact, three of the last four carnavalescos to win titles in Rio were his assistants. I don't speak English very well, but if you speak slow with me, I understand. Perfect. Para mim, o carnaval é a face do disfarce. Alexandre told me that the essence of carnival is disguise, where people step into lives that they don't usually get to live, becoming heroes, royalty or mythical figures. By putting on a mask, he says, people allow themselves to dream. He explained that carnival is a year-round job. It starts with an idea. From there, he does a master's degree level of research into everything about the theme, before writing and then translating his own words into images of costumes, floats and entire worlds.

24:09Quoting the carnavalesco Jeanzinho Trinta, he described it as an opera on the tarmac. For Alexandrie, Amsterdam was a natural choice as a theme. He was inspired by the city's respect for human rights, gender identity and free speech, something he sees reflected in Carnival itself. Ultimately, Alexandrie says the true power of Carnival lies in its ability to flip reality. He told me how it can turn a domestic worker into a queen, elevated above the crowd whilst her boss parades below. But beyond spectacle, he sees Carnival as an inclusive educational tool. By making dreams tangible, even briefly, carnival can spark lasting social change.

24:52Beautiful. Muito bonito. Alessandri then showed me around the factory to see some of Agia's Amsterdam-themed floats this year. Upon arriving, I'd seen one of them in the entrance, ready to be taken to the Sambadrome. It depicted two windmills with huge sunflowers underneath and big blue waves behind, presumably to represent the River Amstel, as well as a large eagle, as Agia Gioro in English means golden eagle. Inside the factory, I could see a tall and detailed float depicting two cyclists and a particularly colourful and controversial piece that Alessandri was keen to show me. So Alessandri has shown me what he thinks is going to be one of the most controversial floats in this year's carnival of all of the schools, which is celebrating Amsterdam's legalisation of cannabis.