Brazil gears up for Carnival to return in full following pandemic

A reveller dressed as a clown participates in the ‘Gigantes da Lira’ street block party in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ahead of Carnival’s official February 17 opening (Silvia Izquierdo/AP/PA)

Brazil’s Carnival was returning in full form on Friday following several years of curtailed celebrations because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Covid last year prompted Rio to delay Carnival by two months, and watered down some of the activities, which were attended mostly by locals.