Rio carnival draws 80,000 crowd

RIO’S world-famous carnival has opened in front of around 80,000 spectators.

The Uniao da Ilha samba group was on the first float introduced by a massive fireworks barrage and the beats of a 500-strong drum line.

Carnival queens wearing feather headdresses and sequined outfits wowed the crowd with their frenetic samba moves.

A dozen top-tier Rio samba schools competed in the parade which was broadcast to millions of viewers nationwide, as massive carnival street parties erupted across Rio.

Tourism officials say almost 730,000 visitors arrived in Rio this year for the carnival – a 5 % increase on last year.

The show was the first Carnival since Rio was named as host of the 2016 Olympics and officials have been working hard to show that the city, known for the drug-gang violence in its slums, can safely host major events.