Viradouro Just Ate and Left No Crumbs: The 2026 Rio Carnival Champion Is Here! 👑🥁

The Tea: Who Won? ☕️

The wait is over, and the receipts are in! Unidos do Viradouro is officially the champion of the 2026 Rio de Janeiro Carnival. 🔴⚪️ They hit a perfect 270 points, proving that they really are that school.

The theme? "Pra Cima, Ciça!" (Go Ciça!). It was a total love letter to their legendary drum master, Mestre Ciça. Imagine having a whole parade dedicated to you while you’re still out there killing it—talk about iconic behavior. 💅 The school from Niterói didn’t just show up; they served a technical masterclass that had the judges obsessed.

The Moments We Can’t Stop Replaying 🎬

If you weren't on the livestream, you missed out on some serious "blink and you'll miss it" magic:

• The Return of the Queen: The internet is literally breaking because Juliana Paes returned as the drum queen after 17 years. 👑 She looked absolutely stunning and brought that OG Carnival energy that we’ve all been craving.

• The Drum Kit Surprise: In a total throwback to 2007, the entire drum section (the bateria) actually climbed onto a massive float. Seeing the "Red and White Hurricane" performing from the sky was a total "IYKYK" moment for long-time fans. 🤯

• Mestre Ciça’s POV: The man himself was everywhere—starting in the front commission and ending on top of a float. It was giving legend status from start to finish.

The Drama: The Low-Key Heartbreak 💔

Now, let’s talk about the "Real Tea." While Viradouro is celebrating, Acadêmicos de Niterói is going through it. They decided to go bold with a tribute to President Lula, and let’s just say… it was polarizing. Despite the hype and a surprise appearance by the President himself on the track, the school ended up in last place and got rebaixada (relegated) to the Silver Series. 📉

The judges weren't feeling the execution, and the vibe in the Sambadrome went from "hyped" to "yikes" real quick when those low scores started dropping. It’s definitely a "Fact from Fiction" moment for the history books.

What’s Next? 🗓️

The party isn’t over just yet! This Saturday (Feb 21), the top six schools—Viradouro, Beija-Flor, Vila Isabel, Salgueiro, Imperatriz, and Mangueira—are heading back to the Sapucaí for the Champions’ Parade. 🎊

If you want to see what a 270-point performance looks like IRL, that’s where you need to be (or at least, that’s what you need to be watching). Viradouro is officially in their 80th-anniversary era, and this win is the ultimate birthday gift.

Stay tuned, because the post-Carnival glow-up is just beginning! ✨

Mya 💕