STORY: More than 70,000 enthusiastic spectators in the legendary Rio de Janeiro sambodrome on Saturday evening. The carnival events are slowly but surely approaching their climax. And in this world-famous venue, that means 12 samba schools compete, with thousands of dancers, drummers and bands, to then receive the award for best performance. The main event is on Sunday. But already on Saturday the tension among the participants was very high. “We’re going to do our best and put on an amazing show. Oh my heart! I’m dying and I’m so incredibly happy.” “It’s good for mental health! I breathe the carnival.” You can see the joy of the people here and you can almost feel it. Because after two years under corona-related conditions, you can finally celebrate again without restrictions. In 2021, all activities were completely canceled and strict conditions prevailed in the past carnival. But this year around five million guests are expected. Carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro officially end on February 25th.