Unidos do Viradouro is the champion of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival in 2026. The result was announced this Wednesday (18), after the vote tallying for the Special Group, which took place at Cidade do Samba, in the Gamboa neighborhood in the city’s central region.
The title came with a total of 270 points. The runner-up was Beija-Flor, with 269.9 points, alongside Vila Isabel with the same score. Three more groups complete the podium: Salgueiro (269.7 points), Imperatriz (269.4), and Mangueira (269.2). All of them will take part in the Champions Parade next Saturday (21), at the Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí.
Viradouro brought to the Sambódromo the enredo Para cima, Ciça!, which celebrates the 70 years of Moacyr da Silva Pinto, the longest-serving battery master of an active samba school.
During the parade, the honored master took part in the front commission and the last allegorical float, conducting the percussionists. Besides Viradouro, Ciça has led the batteries of Unidos da Tijuca, Grande Rio, União da Ilha, and Estácio de Sá, where he began in 1988.
The master, recognized for the well-rehearsed battery stops, led the percussion in two of the three carnivals won by Viradouro (2020 and 2024) and in one parade won by Estácio de Sá (1992).
This is Viradouro’s fourth title in the Rio de Janeiro Carnival. The school’s last trophy had been in 2024. In the list of top champions, Portela remains in the lead with 22 titles, followed by Mangueira (20), Beija-Flor de Nilópolis (15), Salgueiro, Império Serrano, and Imperatriz Leopoldinense (9).
Acadêmicos de Niterói was relegated this year to the Gold Series with 264.6 points. The school brought the enredo Do Alto do Mulungu Surge a Esperança: Lula, o Operário do Brasil.
The group that will fill Acadêmicos de Niterói’s spot will be revealed on Thursday (19), when the official Gold Series vote tallying result is released.
Source: Agência Brasil