By late evening the beaches have emptied of swimmers and the kiosks along the sand are lit, while further inland the sound of a surdo drum and a crowd singing along drifts out of an open doorway. Cabs run between the Zona Sul and the old centre well past midnight, and the city's evenings tend to start late and finish close to sunrise.
Rio's nightlife is built on samba, choro and bossa nova, the three genres the city is credited with shaping, and on a live-music culture that fills the downtown district of Lapa with good and cheap options and some of the country's best musicians. Beyond that, being a big city, it has large and small clubs covering almost every kind of music, from mainstream radio pop to underground rock, EDM and rap. It suits visitors who want live music and street parties more than those looking for a quiet early dinner, and it rewards those willing to stay out late.
Where to go out in Rio de Janeiro
1. Lapa
The downtown district of Lapa is the centre of the city's traditional samba and choro revival, and it has become a hub for venues playing those styles. It is a good and cheap nightlife option where you can hear some of the best musicians in the country.
It suits a night built around live music rather than a single club, and it is the first place to look if you want to hear samba played by people who live it. City newspapers are the practical way to find out which shows are on.
2. Samba school rehearsal nights
The samba schools that parade during Carnaval hold practice sessions in the months leading up to it, and these are more genuine than the staged samba shows put on for tourists at venues such as Plataforma and Scala. The tourist shows are expensive and not really representative of Brazilian culture. At the rehearsals you will find only a small number of tourists, and the caipirinhas served there are the best of your trip.
This suits anyone who wants the real thing and does not mind a late start: the fun really only begins at 01:00–02:00 and goes on into the wee hours. A good cab driver should be able to point you to one, and cabs are available to take you back. Salgueiro and Mangueira are good choices, being two of the larger schools and located relatively close to the tourist areas in a fairly safe area. Mangueira rehearses every Saturday at 22:00 and Salgueiro every Wednesday at 20:00. Note that the local government built a complex called Cidade do Samba, where many schools moved their practice halls and float-construction facilities, so you can expect more tourists and more shows made up for them.
3. Street blocos during Carnaval
Carnaval lasts for almost two weeks and is the biggest reason many people visit Rio. Besides the samba school parades at the Sambódromo in Centro, hundreds of blocos de rua parade on the streets, in almost every neighbourhood and especially in Centro and the South Zone, gathering thousands of people. Some are very famous, and there are few cariocas who have not heard of Carmelitas, Suvaco de Cristo, Escravos da Mauá or Simpatia É Quase Amor.
This suits anyone who wants to be in the street rather than in a venue, and who is comfortable in large crowds. Because the blocos are spread across the city, you can pick a neighbourhood and join whatever is passing rather than committing to one event.
4. Mainstream and underground clubs
Rio has big and small clubs that play almost every kind of music. The major mainstream clubs mostly play whatever is on the radio, which usually means whatever is on US radio and MTV, while the underground scene has a lot to offer in rock, EDM and rap.
This suits a night when you want to dance rather than listen, and it is the easiest option if you are not drawn to samba. The best way to find out about the underground nights is the flyers handed out or left at hostels, cinema and theatre lobbies, and in nightclub lines.
5. Copacabana on New Year's Eve
Rio hosts the country's largest and most popular New Year's Eve celebrations, with a huge fireworks display and music shows that draw crowds to the sands of Copacabana beach. People dress in white for luck and toast the arrival of the new year, and it is usual to have national and international concerts on the beach for free.
This suits a once-a-year night out on the sand rather than a normal evening, and it is the one time the beach itself becomes the venue. Because the concerts are free and open, you can arrive without a plan and still find something to watch.
How a night out unfolds
Rio runs late. Samba school rehearsals in the run-up to Carnaval do not really get going until 01:00–02:00 and continue into the wee hours, with Mangueira's Saturday sessions listed as starting at 22:00 and Salgueiro's Wednesday sessions at 20:00. Carnaval itself stretches over almost two weeks, and the street blocos parade throughout it. New Year's Eve on Copacabana is a night-long affair of fireworks and concerts. Outside those periods, the sources point to Lapa's live-music venues and the city's clubs as the main evening options, with newspapers and flyers as the way to find out what is on.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Carnaval — lasts for almost two weeks, with samba school parades at the Sambódromo in Centro and hundreds of street blocos across the city, especially in Centro and the South Zone. Carnival Friday falls on 5 February 2027.
- New Year's Eve — fireworks and free music shows on Copacabana beach, with people dressing in white. Celebrated on 31 December, with New Year's Day on 1 January.
- Samba school rehearsals — held in the months leading up to Carnaval; Mangueira on Saturdays and Salgueiro on Wednesdays.
Frequently asked questions
When does a night out in Rio actually start?
Late. At the samba school rehearsals the fun really only begins at 01:00–02:00 and runs into the wee hours, even though the listed start times are earlier in the evening.
Where can I hear traditional samba and choro?
Lapa, the downtown district, has seen a boom in traditional samba and choro venues, with good and cheap options and some of the country's best musicians. City newspapers provide pointers to the best shows.
Are the big tourist samba shows worth it?
The sources describe the year-round shows at venues such as Plataforma and Scala as expensive and not really representative of Brazilian culture, presenting a lot of almost naked women and bad musicians. The night practice sessions held by the samba schools in the months before Carnaval are described as much more interesting and genuine.
How do I find out what is on?
City newspapers carry pointers to the best shows and to other kinds of music. For underground nights in rock, EDM and rap, the best sources are flyers handed out or left at hostels, cinema and theatre lobbies, and in nightclub lines.
Check what is on in Lapa or at a samba school rehearsal, decide how late you want to stay out, and plan your evening around it.