When: The same Carnival week as Rio — the days before Ash Wednesday, moving with Easter.
Tickets: Free + ticketed extras — Abadás (bloco packages) are sold ahead by the blocos and headline artists; the 'pipoca' crowd outside the ropes is free. Choose your circuit and artist before you go.
What it is
Salvador's Carnival is all motion: huge 'trios elétricos' (music trucks) roll along the coast pulling roped-off blocos, with a vast free crowd dancing alongside.
How to get started
- Decide whether to buy an 'abadá' (a bloco outfit-ticket that gets you inside the ropes behind a trio) or join the free 'pipoca' crowd outside them.
- Book accommodation on or near the Barra–Ondina or Campo Grande circuits early.
- Buy abadás in advance from the bloco or artist if you want the roped-off experience.
Tickets & where to buy
Abadás (bloco packages) are sold ahead by the blocos and headline artists; the 'pipoca' crowd outside the ropes is free. Choose your circuit and artist before you go.
- Where to stay
- Rooms on the parade circuits book out first — reserve early.
- First-timer tips
- The Afro-Brazilian heart of Carnival; expect nonstop axé and pagode. The pipoca is free but intense; abadás buy you space and security.
- Watch out
- Stay with your group in the dense crowds and watch your belongings.
Several of these festivals are tied to Easter or a lunar calendar, so the exact dates shift each year. Confirm the current year's dates and ticket on-sale times from the official source before you book flights.