Samba School Rehearsal: My Saturday Night
By Ana Souza · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil · 2026-02-15
Saturday night in the month before Carnaval, every samba school opens its quadra for rehearsal. Tourists think Carnaval is the Sambadrome. For us it is this: a sweaty hall, two hundred drums, and your whole neighbourhood singing the year's samba.
The bateria starts around 11pm. You will feel it in your chest before you hear it. Stand near the back first; the front is for people who know the moves.
After rehearsal, Lapa. The arches, a caipirinha from a street cart, and live forró on every corner until the sun comes up.
The morning after, the Selarón steps, at 8am when they are empty and the tiles are still cool.
Lunch in Santa Teresa. The little yellow tram still climbs the hill, and the bars still play samba on Sunday afternoons.
We finish where every visitor should: Sugarloaf at sunset. From up there you can point to the quadra, and now you know what happens in it on Saturday night.
Walk this trip on the 3D globe in EWIG