Venue
Avenida Atlântica, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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Réveillon in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro guide
White clothes and waves on Copacabana.
In short
Réveillon suits travellers who want a huge free beach party with spiritual roots. On the night of 31 December into 1 January, millions in white fill Copacabana for concerts, midnight fireworks from offshore barges and offerings to Iemanjá. It runs from late afternoon to sunrise, so plan food, water and transport early.
Réveillon on Copacabana is Rio de Janeiro's New Year's Eve, and it ranks among the largest open-air parties anywhere. Millions of people dressed in white fill the long curve of beach for free concerts, a midnight fireworks display fired from barges offshore, and quiet offerings of flowers to the sea goddess Iemanjá.
What makes the night worth the trip is how two traditions sit side by side. One is devotional, rooted in Candomblé and Umbanda, and you see it in the white clothes, the candles at the waterline and people jumping waves for luck. The other is pure carioca entertainment: samba, pop and gospel stages, then dancing until the sky turns pale.
No ticket is needed for the beach itself. The night belongs to everyone who turns up, from local families who have claimed the same patch of sand for years to first-time visitors who simply follow the crowd down to the water.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Where: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Venue: Praia de Copacabana
Held: Every year
Type of event: Party Events, Live Events, Cultural Events
Currency: Brazilian real (BRL, R$)
Time zone: Brasília Time (UTC-3)
Language: Portuguese
Map
Close to the venue
- Christ the Redeemer (Corcovado) Attraction · 3.5 km
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
What to wear for a night on the beach
White is close to universal on the beach, and wearing it marks you as joining in. Choose light, loose clothes you will not mind getting sandy or splashed with sparkling wine.
- Bring a canga (the thin Brazilian sarong) to sit on; it rolls up small.
- Pack sunscreen if you arrive in the afternoon; the afternoon sun on open sand is fierce.
- Wear sandals you can kick off at the waterline, and keep them in hand once the crowd thickens.
- A thin layer helps after 3 a.m., when the sea breeze cools things down.
Protecting your phone and cash from theft
Petty theft is the main risk on a night this crowded. Carry only what you need: one card, a little cash and a phone in a front pocket or a zipped pouch worn under your clothes. Leave passports and spare cards in the hotel safe.
Street vendors on Copacabana can be persistent. A firm, polite no works better than conversation. Pickpockets also work the packed buses, so keep a hand on your bag when riding home. Stay with your group and avoid walking alone along empty side streets in the small hours.
Respecting offerings to Iemanjá
Near the water you will see people kneeling to light candles in the sand, laying out flowers or launching tiny boats. These are prayers, not props. Give them space, do not step over candles, and ask before photographing anyone at close range.
If you want to take part, a few white flowers carried to the waterline and handed to the waves is the simplest gesture, and nobody will mind a visitor doing it. Never pick up offerings that wash back onto the beach.
What happens on the day
- Morning
Beach road closes
At the last edition Avenida Atlântica shut to cars at 7h, and the barges were already moored offshore.
- 18h
DJs open the stages
All three Copacabana stages started with DJ sets: Palco Rio facing the Copacabana Palace, the samba stage near Rua República do Peru and the gospel stage in Leme.
- From 20h
Headliners
The bigger names took the stages from about 20h and the crowd thickened steadily.
- Midnight
Fireworks from the barges
The music stops and fireworks rise from 19 barges along the seafront, paired last time with a drone show.
- 00h12
Music again
The first post-midnight acts came on 12 minutes into the new year.
- From 03h30
Samba schools to dawn
Beija-Flor and Grande Rio closed the night on the main stages, and many people stayed on the sand to watch the sun rise over the Atlantic.
Choosing your section of Copacabana Beach
Copacabana is about 4 km of beach, and on this night each section of it behaves differently. Last time the main stage, Palco Rio, faced the Copacabana Palace hotel and pulled the densest crowd. The samba stage sat further south near Rua República do Peru. Leme, at the northern tip, hosted a gospel line-up and felt noticeably calmer. Decide which mood you want before you book, because once the evening starts, crossing the sand from one stage to another is slow work.
Treat it as a long afternoon and evening. Swim, eat early, change into white, then claim your spot while the light fades. The wider Brazil trip can wait until the hangover has passed.
Iemanjá and the tradition of wearing white
Faith came first here. In the 1970s followers of Candomblé started spending the year's last night on Copacabana. They wore white to greet Iemanjá, the orixá of the sea, and carried offerings down to the water before midnight. Iemanjá is honoured in both Candomblé and Umbanda, and the gesture spread far beyond those religions. Today Brazilians of every background wear white and throw white flowers into the waves. Some send small wooden boats loaded with gifts out to sea. Jumping seven waves for luck is another habit you will see all along the shoreline.
The fireworks came later, and they started as a neighbourhood effort. In 1978 Mario, owner of the old By Marius steakhouse, persuaded traders in Leme to pay for a display. During the 1980s the Meridien hotel added the cascade of fire that used to pour down its façade at the finale.
Music turned the night into a mass event. Rod Stewart's free concert on the sand in 1993-1994 drew a crowd put at 3.5 million, listed as the largest free rock show ever staged. Free concerts have been part of Réveillon ever since.
Getting there
Flying in
International flights land at Galeão, roughly 20 km north of the city centre. Domestic flights from São Paulo and Brasília use Santos Dumont, on Guanabara Bay just east of the centre.
Airport to Copacabana
The 2018 bus runs from Galeão along the Zona Sul beaches; allow at least an hour, often twice that in holiday traffic. The cheaper route is the BRT to Vicente de Carvalho, then the metro, about 1.5 hours. Take an ordinary yellow taxi. The terminal booths can charge about double.
Road closures on the night
At the last edition Copacabana was limited to buses and taxis from 19h and closed to all traffic from 21h. City buses dropped passengers on Avenida Princesa Isabel until 21h.
The metro
Cardeal Arcoverde, Siqueira Campos and Cantagalo serve Copacabana. Last time, riders heading in from 19h needed a QR code from the city's Réveillon passport, with Siqueira Campos the recommended stop, and a wristband issued on the way in was required for the return between 00h and 5h.
Going home
Return buses left from the Enseada de Botafogo terminal through the night. Forget driving.
Where to stay during the festival
Rooms facing Avenida Atlântica sell out first and look straight at the barges. A side street two or three blocks back is cheaper and often better: you sleep away from the sound systems, and a short walk still puts you on the sand.
If Copacabana is full, Ipanema and Leblon in the Zona Sul work too, and make an easy escape on 1 January. Expect minimum stays over New Year at many hotels, and book early.
Weather and what to pack
December is early summer in Rio: hot, humid and prone to sudden heavy showers. On the 1981-2010 normals for the Saúde station, December averages a high of 30.3°C and a low of 23.2°C, with about 134 mm of rain over 11 wet days.
Nights on the sand stay warm, so the issue is sun in the afternoon and the chance of a downpour in the evening.
Worth packing
- White clothes for the night, as tradition asks
- A canga or light sarong to sit on
- High-factor sunscreen and a hat for the afternoon
- Drinks in plastic bottles only (glass is banned)
- A small cross-body bag kept in front of you
- A light poncho for a tropical shower
- Sandals you do not mind losing to the sea
Car hire in Rio de Janeiro
Airport transfer to Réveillon in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro
Met at arrivals and driven door to door to Praia de Copacabana.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
No. The beach is open to everyone and the city-run stages are free. At the last edition Rio ran 13 free stages across the city. You pay only for what you eat and drink.
Yes. Besides Copacabana, the city has put free stages at Praia do Flamengo, Piscinão de Ramos and Sepetiba. These draw mostly local crowds and are a gentler choice for families who want music without the Copacabana crush.
The latest main stage line-up included Gilberto Gil with Ney Matogrosso, Alcione, Belo, João Gomes with Iza and the DJ Alok. Roberta Sá, Mart'nália and Diogo Nogueira played the samba stage. Each year's artists are announced by the city before the event.
Yes, in plastic bottles. Glass bottles, jars and cups are banned, as are sharp objects, flammable liquids and your own fireworks. Cangas, sunscreen and light clothing are fine.
No. Recent shows have run about 12 minutes, but the record belongs to the 2003-2004 display, which lasted 26 minutes and used 15,000 shells fired from 8 barges.
Yes. There was no beach celebration for the 2020-21 New Year, although the fireworks display still went ahead over the water.
Use the numbered lifeguard towers, called postos, as meeting points. They run from Posto Um in Leme to Posto Seis near Fort Copacabana at the southern end. Agree a posto and a time before you split up.
Yes. TV Globo broadcasts the Copacabana celebration live, so friends and family at home can follow the concerts and see the same fireworks you are watching from the sand.
Booking
The city expected more than 2.5 million people on Copacabana for the most recent edition. Crowds are heaviest between the main stage and the samba stage, while Leme at the northern end is usually less packed.
Health & safety
Very. For the last edition the state put 3,500 police, 182 vehicles and 78 observation towers in Copacabana alone. Visible policing keeps serious trouble rare, though bag snatching still happens in tight crowds.
Medical posts were set up from 17h30 until 5h at Avenida Princesa Isabel, Praça do Lido, Rua República do Peru and Rua Siqueira Campos. Note the one nearest your spot when you arrive.
Timing & weather
The city of Rio publishes stages, artists and transport plans in the run-up to each 31 December. Check the official city channels then for the current programme.