With Carnival 2027 on the horizon, Visit Brasil launched its global campaign “The heartbeat of Brazil” on Tuesday (3 November) at WTM London 2026, in partnership with Beautiful Destinations. From samba school parades to street parties known as blocos, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife and Olinda showcase different ways to experience a cultural celebration shaped by the work and creativity of their communities.
The energy of the festivities is woven together with behind-the-scenes stories of the people who make them happen, revealing how Carnival brings generations together, keeps traditional knowledge alive and supports local economies. These authentic experiences reveal a Brazil beyond the postcard images and convey the country’s soft power, inspiring audiences to discover it through its culture.
The main film premiered on the big screen at the Brazil stand at WTM, bringing together all four cities through cinematic storytelling and first-person footage. Filmed during the 2026 celebrations, the material has also been used to create three videos exploring the Carnivals featured, six short social media videos and a photography library. The content will be shared across Beautiful Destinations’ and Visit Brasil’s channels through reels, stories, collaborative posts and cross-posting.
“This campaign offers the world a fresh perspective on Brazilian Carnival, revealing how its diverse rhythms and traditions create a wealth of travel experiences within a single country. Our partnership with Beautiful Destinations, which has a global audience of more than 30 million, brings this diversity to a wider international audience and connects people with the communities who make the celebrations happen. To turn that inspiration into travel, we are launching the campaign in November, giving visitors time to plan for Carnival 2027 and travel agents and tour operators time to develop and sell itineraries across Brazil”, says Bruno Reis, President of Visit Brasil.
“Our mission was to reimagine Carnival. Across Recife, Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, we set out to show the celebration as travellers truly live it: from inside the crowd, in the heart of the music, moving from one city’s rhythm to the next. Blending cinematic storytelling with first-person perspectives, we captured three distinct Carnivals within a single country. Our goal is to inspire our global community to experience Carnival 2027 in person, and to discover how much more Brazil has to offer beyond the parades”, says Nick Evans, Co-Founder of Beautiful Destinations.
ONE COUNTRY, MANY CARNIVALS
In Recife, the exuberance of the street parties sits alongside moving rituals that preserve the collective memory of local communities. Galo da Madrugada turns the city’s streets into a sea of colour, while another moment in the programme invites quiet reflection: the Noite dos Tambores Silenciosos (Night of the Silent Drums), when the music falls silent in tribute to ancestors.
On Olinda’s hilly streets, the celebrations bring together blocos, giant puppets and frevo parasols. The blessing of the blocos and the procession of Homem da Meia-Noite (Midnight Man), one of the city’s iconic figures, are among the traditions that fill the streets lined with colonial buildings. Recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, frevo brings movement and colour to the scene.
Afro-Brazilian cultures are the driving force behind Salvador’s celebrations. In Pelourinho, Olodum’s drums echo among colourful façades, while in Curuzu, Ilê Aiyê celebrates Black beauty and heritage. The white and blue of Filhos de Gandhy, Didá’s all-female percussion, Timbalada in Barra and the Encontro dos Trios Elétricos, a gathering of the city’s iconic music trucks, complete the journey through a city where music and ancestral traditions go hand in hand.
From street parties and ballrooms to the parade avenue, Rio de Janeiro offers further ways to experience Carnival. Cordão da Bola Preta draws huge crowds through the city centre, the Copacabana Palace Ball brings together glamour and costumes, and samba schools parade along Marquês de Sapucaí amid feathers, sequins and thousands of voices singing in unison. The parades continue into the early hours as months of work come to life before the crowds.
BEYOND THE FESTIVITIES
There is plenty to discover when the celebrations pause. Beautiful Destinations’ journey invites visitors to stay longer in Brazil and explore sights ranging from the blue waters of Boa Viagem to the colourful façades of Rua do Bom Jesus in Recife. In Olinda, conversations with artists and visits to their studios reveal how creativity is woven into everyday life.
Flavours, faith and scenery come together in Salvador. From the Lacerda Elevator, sweeping views of All Saints’ Bay inspire visitors to explore the city up close. The itinerary includes acarajé prepared by traditional baiana vendors and the Basilica of Senhor do Bonfim, where residents and visitors offer prayers and give thanks.
In Rio de Janeiro, a helicopter ride and a visit to Christ the Redeemer offer different perspectives on the meeting of sea, mountains and forest. A stop at Confeitaria Colombo rounds off the itinerary, with pastries and coffee at one of the city’s historic landmarks.
AN EXPERIENCE ALREADY SHARED WITH THE WORLD
Some of these discoveries reached international audiences during Carnival 2026. Beautiful Destinations content creators shared travel diaries, scenes from the celebrations and pieces to camera in real time. The content generated more than 5 million views and interactions, with over 90% of the audience reached outside Brazil.
The films’ premiere builds on this engagement and forms part of the strategy set out in Plano Brasis – International Tourism Marketing Plan 2025–2027. By highlighting culture as a reason to travel, the campaign invites visitors to join the celebrations and continue discovering Brazil through its landscapes, flavours and ways of life.
