RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — A one-hour heavy downpour failed to dampen the mood as the annual Carnival in Rio kicked off its parades Sunday, February 15, 2015.
Following are photos taken by the Associated Press on the event.
Performers from the Viradouro samba school parade during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. AP
Performers from different colors and races participate in the parade at the Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. AP
The Viradouro samba school opens the parade during the 2015 Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. AP
Tennis player Rafael Nadal of Spain, center, marches with the Viradouro samba school as they perform in a downpour during the Carnival parade in the Sambadrome, in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. AP
A performer waves from a Viradouro samba school float as it rides across the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. AP
Revelers dance during the ‘Ceu na Terra’, or Heaven on earth, carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015. Rio’s over-the-top Carnival is the highlight of the year for many local residents. Hundreds of thousands of merrymakers take to the streets in open-air “blocos” parties. AP
Performers, in butterfly costumes, from the Viradouro samba school are suspended from a float, as they file past in the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. AP
Performers from the Viradouro samba school stand on a float during the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. AP
Performers from the Viradouro samba school greet spectators at they file past in a float during the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. AP
Dogs pose for a photo in the likeness of a photo time line of Face Book during the “Blocao” dog carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015. Carnival goes to the dogs as pet owners take to the streets for their own party, with their four-legged friends in ornate costumes. AP
