They were the last school to parade on carnival Monday, but Viradouro, the most successful of all the schools over the last five carnivals, is the champion samba school in Rio again, scoring a perfect 270 out of 270. It last won in 2020.
Viradouro’s winning samba “Arroboboi, Dangbé” looked at the energy of the cult of the powerful serpent god of Voodoo mythology, Vodou, the force that manifested itself in epic battles on the West Coast of Africa and influenced the struggles of the all female Mino warriors of the Kingdom of Dahomey, a dynasty of women chosen by the python spirit, Dangbé.
Second was the champion in 2023, Imperatriz with 269.3, with Grande Rio (269.2), winners in 2022, in third. Making up the top six that parade in the Winners Parade were Salgueiro (269.0), Portela (268.9) and Vila Isabel (268.8).
And, as so often happens, Porta da Pedra (264.9), that was promoted last year, is relegated this year with a Unidos de Padre Miguel, champion of Série Ouro being promoted to parade in the Grupo Especial in 2025. Padre Miguel have paraded five times in the elite group of schools, the last time in 1972.
The full results of Rio’s Carnival Parade in 2024 for the Grupo Especial were:
1º – Viradouro – 270,0
2º – Imperatriz – 269,3
3º – Grande Rio – 269,2
4º – Salgueiro – 269,0
5º – Portela – 268,9
6º – Vila Isabel – 268,8
7º – Mangueira – 268,8
8º – Beija-Flor – 268,5
9º – Paraíso do Tuiuti – 268,3
10º – Mocidade – 267,2
11º – Unidos da Tijuca – 265,7
12º – Porto da Pedra – 264,9
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