The Carnival has already awakened the Brazilian streets, less than a week before its peak.
The economic engine that fuels the party is working at full capacity with the hope of raising around 9,000 million reais (
about 1,800 million dollars)
.
The National Confederation of Commerce expects that the festivities will leave a record turnover
this year
, 10% higher than last year, in addition to
25,000 temporary jobs
and a hotel occupancy of more than 60% throughout the country.
On the central 25 de Marzo street in San Pablo, one of the favorite places to get a costume, there
is barely room to walk
on the sidewalks packed with customers.
In stores, of course, there is no shortage of sequins and neon colors.
"Blessed Carnival," proclaims a banner at the entrance of one of them.
Karina Theodoro, the manager of the establishment, explains to EFE that the increase in sales
began in the first week of January.
Costumes that will be used on one of the Carnival floats this year, in the warehouse of the Vai Vai Samba School, in San Pablo.
Photo: EFe
Among the customers searching through the colorful and bright products is Mónica Gómez, who says she starts looking for accessories
as soon as the previous Carnival ends.
Gómez's budget for this year is about 200 reais ($38), but there are buyers who spend more than 500 reais on a single purchase, according to Luiz Gustavo de Oliveira, manager of another store on 25 de Marzo.
The Carnival Factory
At the São Paulo Samba Factory, where everything necessary to carry out the parades is produced, the Carnival has been brewing for months.
The gigantic gates of what looks like an airport hangar hide the floats of each samba school, on which painters and welders still work tirelessly finalizing every detail before next weekend's parade
at the sambadrome.
An artisan works on the final preparations of the floats.
Photo: EFE
Luiz Robles, coordinator of the Vai-Vai school, the city's biggest champion that has been parading since 1930, reveals to EFE that preparations began last March.
Despite the advance notice, he explains that "the biggest challenge is always arriving on time."
Rehearsals have been held every Sunday since August to fine-tune the parade of more than 2,000 people, who this year will dress up to celebrate 50 years of hip hop, the musical genre.
Organizing a project of such magnitude costs this school nearly
three million reais
and in the entire process
around 600 jobs are generated
, including carpenters, welders, sculptors, designers and seamstresses.
Detail of a float.
Photo: EFE
But the economy of Carnival goes beyond the parades at the sambadrome.
The sector has become more sophisticated over the years and now there are options for all audiences, from those looking to hit the streets with the bare minimum to those who want
a more exclusive atmosphere.
The private parties that move millions
In Salvador, capital of Bahia, businesswoman Luciana Villas-Boas runs Camarote Salvador, a private party whose tickets for one day cost up to
4,500 reais
and which claims to employ around 5,000 people, directly or indirectly.
"There is a lot of demand for parties during Carnival, but the sector is also very segmented with products for families, seniors. Ours is the single public that frequents the European summer," the businesswoman explains to EFE.
In addition to the usual electronic music and Brazilian samba concerts, this year the offer includes a concert by Colombian reggaeton artist J Balvin.
"Reggaeton was the rhythm that was missing," says Villas-Boas.
By Laura Rodríguez and Jon Martín Cullell, from EFE