Rio Carnival Outfits: What to Wear

The short version: Costume, glitter and as little heavy fabric as physically possible.

The dominant aesthetics at Rio Carnival are carnival costume, full costume, samba and parade. That is the visual language of the site, the stages, the merch, the crowd photos, and outfits that speak it look intentional rather than borrowed.

This is a costume festival, and that changes the maths: turning up in normal clothes is the conspicuous choice. Budget for one full look rather than three half-hearted ones, and make sure you can walk, dance and queue in it for eight hours.

What people actually wear: as little fabric as the venue allows, in natural fibres, with a bag small enough to forget about; something identifiable, a colour, a hat, a flag, so your group can find you in a crowd of that size.

At 33°C (91°F), synthetic fabrics stop breathing and anything tight becomes uncomfortable within an hour. Cotton, linen and loose cuts outperform whatever looks best in a photo, and SPF is part of the outfit, not an extra.

Assume rain. A packable shell in your bag costs nothing to carry and saves the weekend; a "cute" jacket that soaks through ruins two days.

Best option here: Cushioned trainers or a low boot. You are on concrete for ten hours.

Avoid: brand-new shoes, heels, and anything you have not walked 10 kilometres in.

You will walk between 15.000 and 30.000 steps a day at a festival of this size, repeated over 5 days. Footwear is the only part of a festival outfit that can genuinely end your weekend, so it is the one place to spend money and break things in beforehand.

Nights stay at 24°C (75°F), which is the rare case where you can wear the same thing from noon to 4am. Use the freedom on a second look rather than a jacket, and take something long-sleeved anyway for the journey home.

• Bag size. Most festivals of this size cap bags at roughly A4 or require a clear bag at the main stages. A belt bag plus a small crossbody clears almost every policy. Check the official rules before you buy anything bigger.
• Chains and studs. Long chains, spikes and metal-heavy accessories are refused at some gates. If a piece is central to the look, have a backup.
• Glitter. Biodegradable only at a growing number of festivals; plastic glitter is banned outright at several. It is also, practically, the hardest thing to remove from a tent.
• No camping. You are travelling in and out each day, so the outfit has to survive public transport at both ends, and a cloakroom is not guaranteed.
• Sun. At 33°C (91°F) with no shade, a hat and SPF 50 do more for how you look on day three than any single garment.
• Cultural dress. Several festivals in this category explicitly ban headdresses and other appropriated cultural dress. Check the site's own policy. It is usually stated plainly.

• Anything suede or leather-soled. Wet suede is finished, and a leather sole on wet grass is an accident.
• Heavy denim and synthetic fabrics. At 33°C (91°F) they trap heat and sweat; you will be looking for a merch t-shirt by 3pm.
• A full face of heavy makeup. It slides. Waterproof mascara, a tinted SPF and a setting spray outperform a full base every time.
• Heels of any kind. Grass, gravel and crowd crush. Platform boots give the height with a surface area that works.
• Brand-new shoes. Ten hours on concrete in unbroken-in soles is the most reliable way to leave early.
• Your good bag. Beer, mud, being sat on. Take the one you would not mind losing, with a zip.

• Two tops per day (one gets ruined)
• One layer for the night
• Earplugs
• Refillable water bottle
• Portable charger
• Sun cream or SPF stick
• Baby wipes
• A bag with a zip
• Packable rain poncho
• Dry socks, more than you think
• Hand fan or cooling towel
• Electrolyte sachets
• Costume repair kit: safety pins, glue, spare elastic