Rio Cancels Official New Year’s Eve 2021 Celebrations

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Rio de Janeiro City Hall decided on Tuesday, December 15th, to cancel all official New Year’s Eve (“Reveillon”) celebrations in the city this year.

The decision comes from Mayor Marcelo Crivella, who met with Secretaries on Tuesday, December 15th, to take stock of the end of his mandate. The celebration would be held in the city’s tourist spots with online TV and internet streaming, but with no live audience.

“This decision is needed for everyone’s protection. Hope for good vaccination results to contain the pandemic will be the celebration. It will be a moment to reflect on a difficult year, of struggle, with the lamentable deaths of so many people. And it will also be time to thank God for the lives saved,” said Mayor Crivella.

Concerning private New Year’s Eve celebrations and events at waterfront bars, Rio’s City Hall emphasized that crowds are still banned, and that the golden rules are in force.

In a note released on Tuesday afternoon, the Rio tourism company (Riotur) added that the cancellation occurred because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Riotur further said that although New Year’s Eve 2021 in the city has been designed in a new format, “at this time the city chooses to cancel the turn of the year event out of respect for all victims and for the safety of all.”

According to Riotur, the plan this year was to celebrate the turn of the year with no public attending, no fireworks and an online and TV streaming of the party. The celebration would take place in the city’s tourist spots and not on the waterfront, as usual.

On Monday, December 14th, the Rio de Janeiro Hotel Union released the second hotel occupancy projection for New Year’s Eve 2021: 58% of hotel rooms in the city were booked for the date.

Although 10 percentage points lower than over the same period last year (68%), the rate is considered positive given the pandemic scenario, said the union.

The most sought after neighborhoods for New Year’s Eve are:

Downtown – 67%.
Copacabana and Leme – 63%
Flamengo – 61%
Recreio – 59%
Barra da Tijuca – 52%
Ipanema/Leblon – 51%.

Niterói, across Guanabara Bay from Rio de Janeiro, has also canceled all public New Year’s Eve celebrations. The decision applies to party venues, bars, clubs, restaurants and other events involving ticket sales. The traditional fireworks on the city’s beaches will not be held this year either.

According to the city, the goal is to prevent crowds and control the Covid-19 pandemic.