Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí, Parade venue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí, officially Passarela Professor Darcy Ribeiro, is a purpose-built samba parade ground: a 700-metre stretch of Avenida Marquês de Sapucaí converted into a permanent runway, with concrete grandstands on both sides. The parade track itself measures about 560 metres long and 13 metres wide, and the complex holds around 90,000 spectators. The stands are built of precast concrete elements, and the route ends at the Praça da Apoteose, a 90-metre three-legged arch.

Architect Oscar Niemeyer completed this complex in 1984, marking his first major project after Brazil's return to democracy. The opening established a permanent venue for carnival celebrations that had previously taken place on city streets without dedicated facilities.

The name "Sambódromo" was coined by anthropologist Darcy Ribeiro, joining "samba" to the Greek suffix "dromo", meaning a place to run. Each school has 75 minutes to cross the 560-metre track, judged by a jury, and the champion is declared on Ash Wednesday. The following Saturday the five top Special Group schools and the A Series winner parade again.

Visitors can select from different seating categories depending on how close they want to be to the parade or how high up they prefer to sit. The best time to visit is during the main carnival days, though it's wise to plan ahead since good seats sell out quickly.

The Praça da Apoteose at the end of the parade features bleachers arranged in a square shape where performers gather after their presentations. This distinctive area serves as a triumphant conclusion and creates unusual sightlines from multiple angles.