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King Momo receives the key to the city and officially opens the Rio Carnival 2026.
Published on 13/02/2026 - 15:03 | Updated on 13/02/2026 - 15:31
The Royal Court of revelry at the opening of Rio's Carnival - Photo: Fábio Motta By symbolically handing over the key to the city to King Momo Danilo Vieira, Mayor Eduardo Paes and Deputy Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere inaugurated the 2026 Carnival in Rio this Friday morning (February 13th), beginning the reign of this year's Carnival court. The ceremony to officially launch the festivities in Rio was attended by the entire Royal Court, at the City Palace in Botafogo, in the city's South Zone.
"For me, it is an honor, for the fourteenth time, to hand over the key to the city to King Momo and his court. We call upon all Cariocas and those who visit us to embrace our festive spirit, our joy, and to enjoy every moment. Don't miss a single minute of fun. Rio de Janeiro is a life experience, a state of mind, and nothing represents the spirit of this city more than the Rio Carnival. Have fun, but responsibly," stated Mayor Eduardo Paes.
King Momo, Danilo Vieira, celebrated.
"It is with great gratitude and honor that I thank the Rio de Janeiro city government for this opportunity to represent all the revelers. I now officially declare the 2026 Rio de Janeiro Carnival open!" said Vieira.
The ceremony also featured performances by the drum section of the Beija-Flor de Nilópolis Samba School, champion of last year's Carnival, and the band of the Rio Municipal Guard. The president of Riotur, Bernardo Fellows, stated that Carnival is directly linked to how Rio has built its identity and strength.
– This is an event of utmost importance for Carnival and for Rio's culture. This period is directly linked to how Rio has built its identity. Officially, we open Rio's Carnival and celebrate this moment of revelry and achievements, which values our roots and keeps alive the cultural tradition that makes Rio the world capital of Carnival – stated Fellows.
In addition to King Momo, those present at the ceremony included Tia Surica; the Queen of Carnival 2026, Caroline Xavier; Princesses Samara Trindade and Luana Fernandes; and the LGBT+ Carnival Court, composed of the muse John Sorriso; the muse Viviane Carvalho; and also the non-binary citizen Wend.
The event also included the participation of the Candonga family, guardians of the key to the city given to King Momo, and representatives of the Old Guard Associations of Rio de Janeiro's samba schools.
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