Carnival season is upon us – which means partygoers taking to the streets in all manner of ridiculous outfits, masks and makeup
Brazillian football legend Ronaldo was the star of a glittering parade in Sao Paulo as revellers the world over were swept away in Carnival fever.
Partygoers took to the streets in their hundreds of thousands decked out in freaky masks, makeup and costumes as part of the annual celebrations in the run up to easter.
Ronaldo was guest of honour at the huge Sao Paulo street party, where five huge floats were displayed, each one representing part of the striker’s career. The superstar was wheeled out atop a glittering float, wearing a shiny golden suit, shirt and tie. He was surrounded by scantily clad dancers and bodyguards, and accompanied by his mother and father.
Meanwhile in Venice, thousands donned creepy white masks and elaborate costumes during the city’s famous celebrations, which date back to the 12th century. Rio’s wild street parties, on the other hand, place less emphasis on fine fabrics – with most hitting the streets wearing as little as possible.
The Carnival festivities in the Tuscan city of Viareggio is renowned throughout Europe for its huge floats. This year, a giant model of John Lennon paraded through the streets, on a Beatles themed float. Carnival is the annual festival, mainly celebrated in Catholic countries, leading up to the season of Lent. Many see the wild street parties of Carnival as a farewell to pleasures of the flesh, before Christians embark on 40 days of abstinence.
Ronaldo was seen atop one of five floats celebrating his life and career (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)Dressed in a gold suit, Ronaldo stood on the huge float with his mother and father (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)The superstar was surrounded by scantily clad salsa dancers (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)One float featured an uncanny sculpture of the football icon (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)The Gavioes da Fiel samba school was set up by fans of Corinthians, the club where Ronaldo finished his career (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)Viareggio Carnival is famous for its huge moving floats (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)The giant sculptures parade through the streets, featuring characters from mythology and pop culture (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)This year featured a huge Beatles themed float with a massive John Lennon. When his giant moving hands meet in the middle, they read HELP (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)This year featured a huge Beatles themed float with a massive John Lennon. When his giant moving hands meet in the middle, they read HELP (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)Rio’s wild street parties don’t have Venice’s reputation for elaborate masks and fine fabrics (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)In fact, revellers in Rio tend to wear as little as possibleExcept this guy, who clearly spent a long time planning his outfit (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)
A reveler of the Perola Negra samba school performs during the second night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Sao Paulo, Brazil on March 1, 2014 (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)The festival attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)Sao Paulo’s Sambadrome hosts a huge pageant with around 30,000 revellers (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)The Gavioes da Fiel samba school’s theme for this year’s carnival is an homage to Brazilian former football star Ronaldo (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)The festival leads up to Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Christian season of Lent (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)Lent is a time when Christians abstain from bodily pleasures (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)The wild excesses of Carnival are seen as a farewell to pleasures of the flesh before Lent (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)Carnival began on Friday and will continue until Shrove Tuesday – or ‘Fat Tuesday’ as it is called in Brazil (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)Carnival began on Friday and will continue until Shrove Tuesday – or ‘Fat Tuesday’ as it is called in Brazil (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)Carnival is celebrated in more than 400 towns and villages, but the festivities in Sao Paulo and Rio are famous for their scale (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)More than half a million foreign tourists visit Brazil for carnival every year (Photo Credit: Daily Mirror)
