Street carnival will have water distribution points in Rio

The city of Rio de Janeiro announced this Thursday (4) that the street blocks of Carnival 2024 will have a special scheme for water distribution.

According to the president of Riotur, Ronnie Costa, even though it is not mandatory, hydration points will be installed due to the high temperatures expected this summer.

“We will offer hydration points spread throughout the blocks. There will also be 'water carriers' that will come from Cedae. They will be spread across the blocks. And we will also have water trucks that will help cool off revelers who will be enjoying Rio's carnival”, highlighted the president of Riotur.

The measure comes after the tragic death of Ana Clara Benevides, aged 22, in November 2023. The young woman, a fan of singer Taylor Swift, fell ill during the artist's concert at the Nilton Santos Stadium. The report from the Legal Medical Institute (IML) of Rio de Janeiro concluded that the student died from thermal exhaustion caused by the heat.

According to Riotur, the street blocks should bring together 5 million revelers in the city of Rio. So far, 453 parades have been authorized by the city hall and the first blocks will take to the streets on January 13th.

The megabocos parade, which brings together more than 100 thousand people, begins on January 20th. The most traditional of them, Cordão da Bola Preta, will bring together revelers in the center of Rio on February 10th.

The president of Riotur highlighted that the security scheme was improved this year and, following the example of New Year's Eve, drones with facial recognition technology will be used.

“Drones with facial identification software will be located at the access points of the megablocks. In addition, the security scheme will include metal detectors, search points and increased Military Police personnel,” he said.