During the 2026 parades, Sesc RJ brings to the Sambadrome projects ranging from women’s protection and sustainability to anti-racist education, expanding Carnival as a space for citizenship.
Stage of the greatest show on Earth, the Marquês de Sapucaí hosts, throughout Carnival 2026, an extensive operation by Sesc RJ. Present at technical rehearsals, Special Group parades, the Champions Parade, and the Children’s Parade, the institution brings to the Sambadrome projects integrating culture, education, health, assistance, and sustainability, reinforcing Carnival as a space for coexistence, citizenship, diversity, and appreciation of popular culture.
Distributed across different sectors of Sapucaí, the actions include cultural programming, campaigns against gender-based violence, circular economy initiatives, anti-racist education, care for parade participants, and experiences focused on childhood, inserting Sesc RJ’s work into the dynamics of the country’s largest cultural event.
Culture at the heart of Sapucaí
In Sector 2, Sesc RJ curates the Sesc Stage, with musical performances during technical rehearsals and on Special Group parade days. The programming brings together samba and pagode groups, enhancing the audience’s experience before and after the schools’ presentations and reinforcing music as a central element of the celebration.
Protection for women and promotion of respect
Through the Mulheres Plurais (Plural Women) project, Sesc RJ conducts a campaign at Sapucaí to combat gender-based violence. The action includes informational stickers installed in restrooms throughout the Sambadrome, with QR Codes directing to official assistance and reporting channels, such as the Tem Saída 24h program and phone number 1746, as well as educational content about the cycle of violence and different types of aggression against women.
By making protection networks visible in a high-traffic environment, the initiative supports victims while also preventing and discouraging abusive behavior.
Sustainability and circular economy
Sesc RJ’s environmental work at Marquês de Sapucaí is carried out in partnership with the Fecomércio Institute of Sustainability (IFeS). The Sambadrome features recycling machines distributed throughout the sectors, receiving materials such as glass, PET, aluminum, Tetrapak, plastic, and steel, destined for recycling cooperatives.
Additionally, organic waste from private boxes and suites is collected with environmentally appropriate disposal. At the end of the parades, Sesc RJ also participates in collecting, sorting, and reusing discarded costumes, which go to cultural projects in the interior of Rio de Janeiro state and international actions, extending the material use cycle and strengthening circular economy practices.
Anti-racist education and educational actions
At the access through the Sector 9 tunnel, the public is invited to visit the exhibition “Play and Be Happy: for an anti-racist celebration”, which presents Carnival as a sensory, bodily, and collective experience. The exhibit values ancestry and the historical protagonism of Black people in building the celebration, reaffirming Sapucaí as a space of memory, identity, and belonging.
Care for parade participants and the public
At the assembly area, Sesc RJ sets up a Wellness Tent, focused on caring for parade participants, offering foot massages and auriculotherapy as integrative practices for relaxation and physical recovery. Throughout the Sambadrome, itinerant actions by the Health area circulate among sectors, distributing fans and providing guidance to the public. In Sector 12, benches with solar energy capture allow rest and cell phone charging.
Childhood at the Children’s Parade
Sesc RJ’s presence at Sapucaí also includes actions focused on childhood. Children from Sesc+ Infâncias and Early Childhood Education open the Children’s Parade with the original samba-theme “Seeds of Time”, accompanied by live lead singers and their own percussion section, in an experience that unites education, culture, play, and belonging.
Service
Marquês de Sapucaí
Where: Sambadrome at Marquês de Sapucaí – Downtown – Rio de Janeiro
When:
Special Group Parades: February 15, 16, and 17
Champions Parade: February 21
Children’s Parade: February 20 (Thursday), starting at 3:30 PM (time to be confirmed)
Photo: Press Release, Erbs Jr.
