Rio’s flamboyant Carnival parade returns for first time post-pandemic

A dancer from the Academicos do Tatuape samba school performs during a carnival parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Saturday April 23 2022 (Andre Penner/AP)

Colourful floats and flamboyant dancers have been delighting tens of thousands jammed into Rio de Janeiro’s Sambadrome, putting on a delayed Carnival celebration after the pandemic halted the dazzling displays.

Rio de Janeiro’s top samba schools began strutting their stuff late on Friday, the first evening of the two-night spectacle.