Brazilian Beach Carnaval 2021

Happy people dancing.

On 10 April 2021, Scarborough Beach came alive with the Brazilian Beach Carnaval. Dancing. Drumming. Music. Food. Lots and lots of happy people. We expected a big celebration and that’s what we got. Note that the Brazilian word for "carnival" is "carnaval" and their native language is Portuguese. This is important to know if you're a grammar nazi. 

The warm and sunny weather was the perfect setting for a beach party. While numbers were restricted this year due to COVID, that didn’t hamper the celebrations. It was my first time at the event and I went with a group of photographers. We arrived at 2pm, just in time for the kids' carnaval. Having registered for our free tickets beforehand, the entry process was straight forward, without long queues as we anticipated. That was a pleasant surprise.

Another pleasant surprise was the music that was playing as we entered. The photographers smiled to each other while being welcomed by the sounds of children’s music, sung in Portuguese. It was a magnificent soundtrack as we explored the grassed area outside the auditorium. There were many food trucks with a diverse mix of Brazilian and international foods. The mouthwatering smells whiffed through the air, harmonising beautifully with the music and colours of the carnaval. As well as having great food, the trucks looked stunning with amazing art works and Brazilian flags. It is clear that a lot of effort was made.

Stunning art work on food truck - Rio 40 - Authentic Brazilian food.

The Tape Truck - Brazilian fusion cuisine.

Braza Churros.

Brazilian flags everywhere.

Strolling around, we came across a foam making machine. Interestingly, there was also a food truck selling fairy floss, which looked a lot like the foam from the foam making machine. However, I was assured that the fairy floss was not made of foam. If it were made of detergent, the fairy floss could have been germ-free and COVID safe. If only they'd thought of that as a safety precaution.

The photographers reached the auditorium at 3pm, just in time for the dance session. The dancing was incredible, the dancers shaking their spectacular costumes to traditional Brazilian music. As part of the show, there were dance demonstrations where audience members were invited to have a go. The participants were obviously having a great time and it was fun to watch. While I was preoccupied with taking photographs, I became inspired to try Samba dancing one day. As a “non-dancer,” this is a big deal for me.

Master of ceremonies.

Dancers.

People enjoying dancing.

 Lots of dancing - I'll be using these photographs to learn the moves.

Once the dancing session ended, we left the auditorium and made our way back towards the grassed area. I couldn’t help but notice a sign, stuck on a bin, that said “bin out of order - use waste stations.” That was a first for me, I had never seen a broken-down bin before.

Presumably, not having a rubbish bin would have caused many people to worry. Fortunately, there was a dedicated station for worriers, the “Waste Warriors.” The sign on their station said “leave ya waste with us,” a reassuring message for all the worriers. Not so reassuring for the grammar nazis however. As well as managing worries, the Waste Warriors did an excellent job of waste management. Despite having so much food, there was not a single bin chicken at the Brazilian Beach Carnaval. Not even one.

An out of order rubbish bin.

Waste Warriors station - do not worry.

Love Brazil sign next to the faulty rubbish bin.

Outside the auditorium.

Inside the auditorium.

Before we knew it, people were gathering to watch the grand parade. As they aligned the street, the COVID marshalls strolled up and down, managing the crowd. At the same time, I strolled up and down, managing my view by looking through the spaces between people. Being a somewhat shorter person, this was not a new experience and I knew how to get a glimpse of the action. 

The drums were beating louder and louder as the parade came nearer and nearer. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Jingle Jingle Jingle. Jingle. Boom. Boom. Boom. Jingle. Jingle. Soon we could see the dancers, drummers, colours, costumes, happy people dancing everywhere. It was clearly a joyous occasion. Suddenly, disaster struck.

As soon as the parade came near us, my camera battery ran out. Speaking of bad timing. It started flashing red, maybe it was trying to flash in time with the beating drums. Thankfully I had a replacement battery and changed it in record time. Phew! Just in time for us to watch the parade make its way across the grass and back into the auditorium. 

Sambanistas drumming group.

Drummers and dancers.

The entertainment continued for a few more hours, partying hard into the night. Brazilians certainly know how to put on a good show. The carnaval was a lot of fun and I'm keen to go back next year. Hopefully by then I'll know how to dance the samba.