RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – As New Year’s Eve returns to the city of Rio de Janeiro after 2 years, the waterfront will not offer its traditional shows with famous artists. Still affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, only the fireworks and a virtual DJ sound will be the attractions in several points of the city. In this scenario, beach bars gained prominence at the turn of the year.
Scattered along 34 kilometers of the Rio de Janeiro waterfront, beach bars have been authorized to hold parties during New Year’s Eve. Of the 309 establishments accredited by Orla Rio, some 70% will be open to entertain the public.
Events will mainly be held in venues located in Copacabana and Flamengo, in the south zone, as well as in Barra da Tijuca, Recreio dos Bandeirantes, and Sepetiba, in the west zone. These 5 beaches will have rafts with fireworks shows scheduled, an attraction for these limited parties.
“There was an unprecedented decentralization of the party, traditionally focused on Copacabana. As a result, we were able to boost the 20 kilometers of beaches in the west zone,” says Orla Rio vice-president Guilherme Borges.
OPEN VENUES
To attract tourists and locals, the bars will offer an open bar buffet, including beer, water, and soft drinks. To ensure that no one is left standing on the turn of 2022, bars will have shows and DJs. Prices vary between R$275 (US$49) and R$600.
Owner of Samba Social Clube, in Leme, South Zone, and Barra da Tijuca, West Zone, Bruno de Paula says that the tickets for Leme are already sold out. The entrepreneur even left a message to the unwary: the vaccine passport will be mandatory.
“We will celebrate safely under the stars. We will still require the vaccine passport. At Leme, 200 tickets were sold. At Barra, we are close to beating the 140 expected, which are being sold at R$450. The musical program includes Leandro Santos, from Mangueira, and Igor Vianna, from Império Serrano,” he says.
The party package offered by a beach bar attracted confectioner Giselle Bomfim Alves, 39 years old. She will spend it with friends and her boyfriend at Leme. It is the first time she will enjoy the New Year’s Eve in an event on the Rio de Janeiro waterfront.
“It’s a combination of hope and fear. We have spent a long time in confinement. I lost my parents 8 months ago to Covid-19, because they couldn’t get the vaccine in time,” the confectioner said.
The return of New Year’s Eve in pandemic times also offers hope to the city’s residents and tourists. But care must be taken and health measures respected, something Giselle is well aware of.
“After all this, hope is reborn of a normality where people will unite again. I think it will be very good, but with due care,” she says.
INSPECTION
Although beach bars are allowed to hold parties, they are not allowed to crowd the beach. To prevent irregularities, 40 employees of the concessionaire will be inspecting the beach during the New Year’s Eve event.
Orla Rio’s vice-president leaves a warning: if any irregularity is found, the establishment’s owner will be notified.
“We will take a picture and go to Court for breach of contract. We will also call for agents of the Municipal Secretariat of Public Order to clear the railings and do whatever else is necessary,” he alerts.
The city of Rio will also feature another 5 fireworks displays: in Bangu, in the West Zone, Madureira Park, Penha Church, Piscinão de Ramos and Ilha do Governador, in the North Zone.
PROGRAM
The New Year’s Eve in Copacabana has strict rules and restrictions different from those of previous years. The main advice from the organizers is to be aware of protocols to ensure that the celebration will be the best for everyone.
The rules aim to discourage large displacements and crowds in the neighborhood. The main warning concerns transport: there will be no reinforcement in the bus system or in the temporary terminals set up at the neighborhood exits.
The subway will not be operating as usual. Trips will end at 8 PM on December 31. After 10 PM, no cars will be able to access Copacabana, not even the neighborhood’s residents, who will only be able to leave or enter their homes on foot.
Subway: stations will open on December 31 from 5 AM to 8 PM; after that, only at 7 AM on December 1;
Regular buses: there will be no reinforcement in the fleet. There will be no trips to Enseada de Botafogo, Lagoa, and Ipanema, in the south zone;
Parking: cars will not be allowed to park in Copacabana and on access roads after 6 PM on December 30;
Buses and vans: blockades will be set up at midnight on December 30, at Trevo das Missões, in Cordovil; Trevo das Margaridas, in Irajá, and on Avenida Brasil with Rodovia Rio-Santos, in Santa Cruz;
Setting up enclosures or holding private parties on the beach or public areas is forbidden.
CELEBRATION IN NUMBERS
There are 10 neighborhoods with fireworks display: Copacabana, Barra da Tijuca, Recreio, Flamengo, Ilha do Governador, Piscinão de Ramos, Bangu, Sepetiba Beach, Parque Madureira, and the Penha Church.
In total, 14 tons of pyrotechnic explosives will be used for the show. In Copacabana alone, fireworks will go on for 16 minutes on rafts 500 meters away from the sand strip.
As for security, there will be 2,482 State Police officers on the streets of the neighborhood. The Rio State Government said that, in total, 18,000 officers will be spread throughout Rio de Janeiro’s capital and other cities. It will be the first time they will be using cameras fitted to their uniforms.
Rio City Hall will deploy 2,238 Municipal Guards working during the festivities, as well as 5,000 street sweepers and 181 trucks from COMLURB to clean the city. Should people need medical attention in Copacabana, some 139 health professionals will be on standby at 3 points in the neighborhood for emergency assistance.