A Rio Carnival Party That Goes On and On

The square began filling well before dawn: some revelers in neon fishnets and glitter, others napping on the grass after a night of parties, and the musicians arriving last with drums and trumpets. It was the start of a roving marathon block party known as the Boi Tolo, a swell of thousands with no set time, script or route.

Those who missed the start spent the day trying to catch up, firing off messages in group chats: “Where is Boi Tolo?” When the musicians erupted in an improvised symphony, a giant human chain formed around the band and everyone set off through narrow streets, paralyzing traffic.

A shiny Medusa blew soap bubbles at commuters, stilt walkers passed a bus stuck in the crowd, and one of the few rules — keep moving — was enforced with shouts of “Kiss and walk! Kiss and walk!” The route, Luís Otávio Almeida, 62, said, is decided “in the moment.” The party began two decades ago by chance, after a group showed up at a square expecting an announced event that did not exist.

Brazil, Rio de Janeiro

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