In an effort to revive the old street carnivals, a group of friends, led by Enéas Freire, created in late 1977 the Mask Club “O Galo da Madrugada,” which had its first parade on January 23, 1978, in Recife, gathering 75 revelers. In 1979, the number of revelers rose to 350. By 1991, the number of revelers exceeded one million, and in 1994, the bloc was officially placed in the Record Book as the largest in the world.
Every year, a giant rooster is assembled, which has become a symbol of the Pernambuco carnival.
In 2009, the bloc was recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of the State of Pernambuco, parading on carnival Saturday and marking the opening of the festivities.
In recent years, the Galo, as it is also known, repeated the record set in 2015, with 2.5 million revelers in the streets.
The movement of people in downtown Recife on the Saturday of the Galo da Madrugada carnival lasts all day. Revelers begin to arrive around 7 a.m., and frevo is the main rhythm played, accompanied by floats, freviocas, and about 27 electric trios.
The Galo inspired the creation of other blocs throughout Brazil and even in other countries, such as Pinto da Madrugada in Maceió, Sapo da Madrugada in Amazonas, Galinho de Brasília in the capital of Brazil, and Galo na Neve in Canada. Additionally, the year 2020 marked the debut of the Bloco do Galo da Madrugada in the city of São Paulo.
Note: For the first time in 43 years, the Galo da Madrugada will not draw crowds through the streets of Recife on Zé Pereira’s Saturday, which this year falls on February 13. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state carnival and, consequently, the largest carnival bloc in the world will not take place.