Rio Carnival: Flames, feathers and fangs feature in spectacular parade
The Beija-Flor samba school has been crowned winner of Rio de Janeiro's celebrated carnival parade competition.Thousand gathered at the city's giant Sambadrome arena to watch the top 12 samba schools battle it out for this year's title.Beija-Flor was crowned winner on Wednesday for the 15th time, narrowly beating second-placed Grande Rio. Its performance was an homage to its late director, Luiz Fernando Ribeiro do Carmo, better known as Laíla, who died in June 2021 with Covid-19.
While the overarching theme of Beija-Flor's parade was a tribute to its late director, it also featured floats with pyrotechnic displays and dancers dressed as devils.
The performances are judged over 10 categories by a total of 40 judges. One of the top 12 samba schools competing for the title was Paraíso do Tuiuti, whose dancers paraded in exuberant feathers.
Among the incredible variety of costumes and performances, Vila Isabel's ghosts clad completely in white were a counterpoint to the kaleidoscopic costumes typical of Rio's carnival.
Performers from the Grande Rio samba school, which came a close second behind Beija-Flor, kept a watchful eye on the parade.
Mocidade delighted spectators with a giant puppet.
Many of the Mocidade's dancers wore futuristic costumes, inspired by its theme song, which this year was entitled Back To The Future - There Are No Limits Dreaming.
Imperatriz came third this year with a parade which included revellers adorned with gold and white skulls.
Portela samba school paid tribute to the legendary Brazilian musician Milton Nascimento. The 82-year-old singer-songwriter waved at the crowd during the parade.
Despite their impressive floats, Unidos de Padre Miguel came last this year and therefore will not be competing in the top tier in 2026.
All photographs are subject to copyright.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Matheus Cunha wants to be Man Utd's new Wayne Rooney after watching legend on TV every week at his grandma's house
Cunha revealed that one person helped convince him to join MAD HEUS Matheus Cunha wants to be Man Utd's new Wayne Rooney after watching legend on TV every week at his grandma's house MATHEUS CUNHA hopes he can bring the spirit of Wayne Rooney back to Manchester United. The £62.5million Brazilian new boy admitted he has always idolised the Red Devils team which won the Champions League back in 2008. Advertisement 7 Matheus Cunha has left Wolves for Manchester United Credit: Getty 7 He is hoping to emulate Wayne Rooney Credit: Getty - Contributor 7 Cunha watched Manchester United win the Champions League in 2008 Credit: AFP - Getty That was around the time United became Cunha's favourite club. He watched them every week on the television at his grandma's before going outside and playing on his own version of Old Trafford. And of all the star names in Sir Alex Ferguson's squad back then, it was former England captain Roo who stood out the most for the boy from Brazil. Cunha, 26, saw some qualities in his new club's 253-goal all-time leading scorer that he could relate to — and hopes he can bring to the modern-day squad. Advertisement READ MORE ON MAN UTD MAN UTD FILES Osimhen is shock Plan B to Gyokeres but huge wages will pose major dilemma The former Wolves and Atletico Madrid forward said: 'I remember the whole squad at the time that I started to watch. 'I liked Rooney at the front. Wow! He is someone I have a lot of similar things in my game, as I always give everything. 'He was the No. 10, I remember it on his shirt and everyone loved the skills of the player — but he always brought more. 'He would slide tackle to try to take the ball, this kind of energy inside of him was a big example.' Advertisement JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS It may be 17 years ago but Cunha can still name most of the players who helped United overcome Chelsea 6-5 on penalties in Moscow after the Champions League final finished 1-1 after extra-time. He said: 'Of course, I can mention a lot of the players. Matheus Cunha gifts Wolves team-mates Joao Gomes and Andre a Rolex ahead of Man Utd transfer 7 Cunha has signed a contract until June 2030 Credit: Getty Advertisement 7 He insisted that Ruben Amorim helped convince him to join Credit: Getty 'Cristiano Ronaldo — everyone knows him, it is easy to talk about him. But Ryan Giggs as well. 'I can imagine the team now — it started with Edwin van der Sar in the goal, Rio Ferdinand with Nemanja Vidic the defenders. Paul Scholes, wow, Michael Carrick. 'That team had a big impact on my teenage years.' Advertisement Cunha's performances at Molineux and his 17 goals for Wolves last season made him one of the hottest properties in the Premier League this summer. United might be a hard sell to some players after the dismal season they have just endured. There will be no European football next term after they limped home in 15th place with just 42 points — their lowest-ever total in Premier League history. But after following the club since he was a boy growing up in Joao Pessoa the chance to put on the famous red shirt at the real Theatre of Dreams was an opportunity he could not turn down. Advertisement Cunha added: 'Maybe outside people don't understand my decision. 'But when you have always dreamed to play here, it's easier to come to this decision. 7 7 Advertisement 'It's hard to explain but for me, no one else is like United. 'I know it's been a hard season for everyone, so my decision shows what this club is to me and what I believe this club can be.' Recalling how he first fell in love with the Red Devils, he revealed: 'My house didn't have the channel to watch the Premier League and my cousin's house didn't have it either. 'He's older than me and supports United — he showed me the way to start watching the Premier League and the need to support United. We could only watch the Premier League at my grandma's house, so we organised to go every weekend. Advertisement 'When we played together in the street, on the beach, on the gravel, we called those pitches Old Trafford. 'So, wow, it's so hard to be here now thinking about the past — it's very emotional for me. 'It's the most common phrase you can say in this moment but yeah, it's a dream come true for me. 'It's my dream team, the team for me.' Advertisement In 2017 Cunha hoped his wish of one day playing for the Red Devils was about to come true when he competed against them for Coritiba in the youth team tournament the Dallas Cup. He said: 'One of the directors at Coritiba said a director from United had asked about me. 'I was so excited, imagining a dream when I go to United — but after that the conversations stopped. 'But I think this was the start of my journey. Playing against United was a dream. Wow!' Advertisement Eight years later, he has finally got his wish and Cunha believes it is coming at the perfect time for him. And part of the move is down to manager Amorim who Cunha admitted helped convince him to make the switch. He said: "I have a lot of faith in him. I hope he succeeds in conquering the world like he did in Portugal. "I'm here to help the team and help him. All our discussions made my decision easier." Advertisement There have been flashpoints during his 2½ seasons at Molineux — which started with a five-month loan spell in January 2023 — but now is the time to relax, knowing he has realised his ambition. He added: 'It's the perfect time to come here and now I need to be calm. I've learned from my mistakes. 'There is not one player who does not come here and think about the glory days, all the times they won the Premier League. 'I want to put this club on top and do everything to help them conquer these things.' Advertisement Join SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford
Daily Record
12 hours ago
- Daily Record
Queen Elizabeth 'scolded' Prince William at Trooping the Colour as she was unimpressed with him
The late Queen wasn't happy with Prince William at the 2016 Trooping the Colour. Trooping the Colour is set to take place this weekend as the Royal Family prepare to celebrate King Charles' official birthday. The event is a huge celebration for the family as they will on congregate on the iconic Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the Royal Air Force flypast. Watching the royals on the balcony is always a joy to see but it is not always smooth sailing. One memorable moment occurred back in 2016, when one member of the royal family was 'scolded' by the late Queen for an unexpected reason. The late Queen appeared to be unimpressed with her grandson Prince William while standing on the balcony during the flypast, earning him a stern word from the monarch, writes The Mirror. Princess Charlotte made her first Trooping the Colour debut not long after her first birthday and was being held by her mum Kate and young Prince George was being looked after by dad William. George - who was just three years old at the time - stood at the front of the balcony and peered over the edge to wave to the thousands of people gathered around the Palace. William crouched next to the youngster to explain the flypast, meaning he was temporarily out of sight from the huge crowd. The Queen was clearly unimpressed that the crowds wouldn't be able to get a clear view of William, and Her Majesty appeared to berate her grandson by saying: "Stand up William. Don't crouch." Of course, the prince did as he was told and rose immediately, looking rather sheepish. The telling off during the fly past was not the first occasion the monarch has had a word with William, as William explained in a Sky News documentary to mark the Queen's 90th birthday in 2016. At the time, the Prince of Wales spoke candidly about an incident in his childhood that landed him in hot water with his grandmother, as he and his cousin Peter Philips were caught misbehaving while riding a quad bike at Balmoral. He said: 'We were chasing Zara around who was on a go-kart, and Peter and I managed to herd Zara into a lamppost and the lamppost came down and nearly squashed her. 'I remember my grandmother being the first person out at Balmoral running across the lawn in her kilt. She came charging over and gave us the most almighty b******ing, and that sort of stuck in my mind from that moment on.' As heir to the throne, William made his Trooping the Colour balcony debut before his first birthday in 1984. In 2011, newly married to Kate Middleton, William took part in his first Trooping the Colour parade and rode on horseback , which he is expected to do again this year. The Trooping the Colour event, which takes place every year in June, has been held to mark the sovereign's official birthday since the accession of King George IV in 1820, except during the world wars and a national strike in 1955. In 2020, a scaled-back version of the celebration was held at Windsor Castle due to the Covid pandemic. Trooping the Colour 2025, officially known as The King's Birthday Parade, will take place on Saturday June 14, in London. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Scotsman
14 hours ago
- Scotsman
The idyllic ‘secret Highland escape' of this Gavin and Stacey BAFTA winner actor
An award-winning actor is often seen serving pints behind the bar of her restaurant that she owns with her husband. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Gavin and Stacey star and co-creator Ruth Jones has been enjoying a peaceful retreat from showbusiness in Lochinver in the Highlands for over 10 years now. The Welsh star, best known for her role as Nessa in Gavin and Stacey - one which she recently won a BAFTA for - has been splitting her time between her hometown of Cardiff and Lochinver. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad welshpix - Ms Jones and her husband, TV producer David Peet, own the popular seafood restaurant, Peet's, with customers often being served food and drinks by the star. The couple bought the restaurant in 2014, a year after buying a holiday home in the idyllic spot on the west coast and Peet's has become a popular place to visit by locals and visitors thanks to its menu of locally sourced produce. Ms Jones and her husband fell in love with the area's rugged beauty and bought a holiday home with stunning views of Mount Suilven in 2013. Despite being based in Cardiff, Ms Jones often visits the Highlands. When the restaurant reopened after Covid restrictions, Ms Jones hosted an exclusive evening with Ruth Jones to talk about life, work and novels. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The actor released her fourth book this year, By Your Side, which tells the story of a Scottish woman called Linda Standish who works at the Unclaimed Heirs Unit tracking down family members of loved ones of those who die without a will. Ms Jones has said she'd be up for playing Linda if the book was adapted for screen. In May Ms Jones won a BAFTA for the best female performance in a comedy category for playing Nessa in Gavin & Stacey: The Finale which she said was a "lovely way to say farewell to the show". She told BBC Radio Sussex : "I was very shocked to have won. I took my shoes off and thought I was in for the night. I had to go up on stage barefoot.
