Rio's top samba schools parade the sambadrome with a controversial opening скачать в хорошем качестве

Rio's top samba schools parade the sambadrome with a controversial opening

(16 Feb 2026) RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY: +++NIGHT SHOTS++ ASSOCIATED PRESS Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 15 February 2026 1. Academicos de Niteroi’s float with a sculpture of a boy holding a star 2. Academicos de Niteroi’s performers with shiny red costumes 3. Various of float with a robotic representation of Brazil’s president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva 4. Drummwea 5. Performers wearing a costume that represents a university degree with the common Brazilian names 6. Pan of samba school float 7. Float with a giant clown behind prison bars 8. Performers with a costume that resembles Disney’s Mickey Mouse and a hat that reads (English): “Make America great again” 9. Float with multiple representations of Brazilian flags and a giant sculpture of Lula 10. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Leonel Querino, samba school director: “Academicos de Niteroi comes to celebrate the popular culture of this country through the boy’s perspective, from atop the mulungu tree, son of Dona Lindu, becomes the president and defends the poor, labor rights, making a true revolution in the country with social and developing measures.” 11. Crowd with flags of Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school 12. Drummers 13. Performers with costumes singing and dancing 14. Float representing Ney Matogrosso’s band “Secos e Molhados” 15. Performer with costume dancing and singing 16. Samba school float 17. Performers with colorful costumes 18. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Pedro Cesário, 21 years old, dance teacher: “Expectations are high because our theme allows us to be very plural, because Ney Matogrosso is a very plural figure. It’s very important as a ballet dancer, as an artist, to work with such a powerful artist in Brazilian culture.” 19. “Baianas” spinning a colorful dress 20. Ney Matogrosso wearing a colorful costume STORYLINE: After a year of preparing in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro’s top-tier samba schools entered the Sambadrome on Sunday for the opening night of Carnival parades, drawing large crowds to the stands. First timers in the elite group of Rio’s samba, Academicos de Niterói’s theme was the story of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s life from poverty to political leadership. The tribute has drawn criticism from right-wing politicians and legal challenges, who argue it amounts to premature electioneering and a possible violation of campaign rules ahead of the October vote. Imperatriz Leopoldinense honored Brazilian singer Ney Matogrosso, present on the last float, with a theme titled “Camaleônico,” celebrating his career and artistic versatility, a cultural homage to his long influence on Brazilian music and performance. The samba schools special group parade for three days, featuring four schools each day. Rio's Sambadrome has been home to the parade since the 1980s, and is a symbol of Brazil's Carnival festivities. AP Video shot by Lucas Dumphreys =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: info@aparchive.com. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...