Opening the Champions Parade, Embaixadores da Alegria celebrates 20 years with its 18th straight accessible desfile and a samba by Pretinho.
Turning 20, Embaixadores da Alegria returns to Rio’s Sambadrome in 2026 with a clear message: accessibility is artistry, process, and a cultural right. Founded in 2006, the world’s first samba school created for people with disabilities reaches a historic milestone with its 18th consecutive accessible parade—an ongoing effort that helped shape Rio Carnival into one of the most accessible celebrations on the planet, alongside Liesa and Rio City Hall.
Embaixadores da Alegria and the 20-year storyline
The theme “20 anos de alegria abrindo alas para a diversidade” frames a journey where “evolution” means more than clean steps on the avenue. Co-founder Caio Leitão describes a deeper cultural shift. “Acessibilidade é linguagem artística, inteligência coletiva e expansão de repertório cultural. A diversidade não é pauta identitária, mas potência criativa de transformação. E a inclusão não é concessão — é direito cultural e expressão plena de cidadania.”
The samba-enredo, signed by Pretinho da Serrinha and Fred Camacho, is positioned as the emotional engine of the parade. For Paul Davies—English and also a co-founder—the song works as a “poetic synthesis of a humanitarian project,” where bodies long pushed out of sight stop “appearing” and start leading the spectacle.
“A Embaixadores da Alegria faz um trabalho maravilhoso! Na frase do samba ‘aqui ninguém fica de fora’, ressaltamos o acolhimento, o chamamento, a inclusão e o carinho com todos os que sonham em atravessar a passarela do samba com sorriso no rosto. E conseguem!!! A embaixadores transforma a vida de todos e tornou-se essencial não só para o nosso carnaval; mas para o ano todo. A emoção é gigante! Quando eu e meu parceiro Fred Camacho acabamos de fazer o samba, nos emocionamos. Tivemos um sentimento de poder contribuir com a escola de verdade. Desfilar é gratificante! Acreditamos que abrir o desfile já é uma grande vitória!”, empolga-se Pretinho da Serrinha.
An accessible parade that reshaped the avenue
Over two decades, Embaixadores da Alegria developed a signature approach that treats accessibility as creative language. The parade features fully accessible floats, original wings, Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) interpreters “singing” the samba on Sapucaí, a drum-queen with Down syndrome, mestre-sala and porta-bandeira pairs with and without disabilities, and even a guide dog moving through the wings.
Leitão also recalls moments that became part of the school’s living memory. Dudu arrived at early rehearsals barely speaking, then grew into the first Carnival porta-bandeira with Down syndrome. In another episode, a boy’s wheelchair broke minutes before the parade. While the school tried to mobilize support—from firefighters to Liesa—the most powerful choice came from the child’s father, who picked his son up and carried him all the way to Apoteose. “Ali, o amor mostrou que não precisa de rodas para atravessar a Avenida”, says Caio.
From Sapucaí to the city
The group’s impact goes beyond Carnival. Initiatives like the Wheelchair Parade, created for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, pushed accessibility into the symbolic life of the city—public space as performance, identity, and belonging. A landmark open-air exhibition of wheelchairs beside the Museum of Tomorrow, seen by nearly one million people, shifted the conversation toward mobility, autonomy, and social design.
In 2026, that wider mission continues with the second edition of the Festival O Que Move Você?, free of charge on April 11 and 12 at Cidade das Artes. The program brings together music, contemporary art, critical thinking, and audience development to spotlight the leadership of people with disabilities and confront ableism through real-world collaboration.
The school says it has directly impacted more than 21,000 people—participants, families, artists, and cultural professionals. The 18th consecutive accessible parade is presented by Volkswagen Caminhões & Ônibus, with sponsorship from Rio Brasil Terminal and the Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro through the State Secretariat of Culture and Creative Economy (Edital Folia RJ 2026), plus support from Rio City Hall, RioTur, and Liesa.
For Caio, the 20-year celebration is also a commitment to what comes next. “Trata-se de uma sociedade que precisa ser curada de seus medos, preconceitos e hierarquias invisíveis. Com uma cultura que precisa enxergar o ser humano para além de suas limitações, diagnósticos ou diferenças”, he says, reinforcing the fight against ableism and social erasure.
Service
Desfile Acessível da Embaixadores da Alegria 2026 – “20 anos de alegria abrindo alas para a diversidade”
Date: 2/21/2026 – Saturday
Time: 7pm
Line-up: 4:30pm – No balança mas não cai
Location: Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí – R. Marquês de Sapucaí – Santo Cristo, Downtown Rio de Janeiro
Photo: Press Office handout
