RIO CARNIVAL

This pre-Lent extravaganza sees more than a million revellers flock to the streets of Rio de Janeiro for a week of feathers, floats and fanfare. The highlight is the legendary Samba Parade, which sees 12 of the top Brazilian samba schools compete for the title of champion. The Magic Ball held at the Copacabana Palace Hotel is also considered a must, provided you can get a ticket. March 1–9 riocarnaval.org