See stunning pictures of the Rio Carnival 2022

Colourful floats and flamboyant dancers gave a scintillating performance delighting tens of thousands by filling up the streets of Rio de Janeiro's iconic Sambadrome, putting on a delayed Carnival celebration after the pandemic halted the dazzling displays. Here are some spectacular pictures from this year's carnival parade.

Colourful floats and flamboyant dancers gave a scintillating performance delighting tens of thousands by filling up the streets of Rio de Janeiro's iconic Sambadrome, putting on a delayed Carnival celebration after the pandemic halted the dazzling displays. Credit: Reuters Photo

A member of the Portela samba school performs during the second night of Rio's Carnival parade at the Sambodrome Marques de Sapucai in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Credit: AFP Photo

Rio de Janeiro's top samba schools began strutting their stuff, which was the first evening of the two-night spectacle. Credit: Reuters Photo

Muses in the Imperatriz Leopoldinense school dressed as the Iemanja deity of Afro-Brazilian religions, were thrilled to be back at the Sambadrome. Credit: Reuters Photo

An artist performs during the second night of the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Credit: Reuters Photo

Rio's Sambadrome has been home to the parade since the 1980s and symbolises Brazil's Carnival festivities. Credit: Reuters Photo

Sao Paulo also kicked off its Carnival parade on April 22nd evening. Both cities' parades usually take place in February or March, but their mayors in January jointly announced they were postponing Carnival by two months due to concerns about the proliferation of the omicron variant. Credit: Reuters Photo

A member of Paraiso do Tuiuti samba school performs at the Sambadrome Marques de Sapucai in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Credit: AFP Photo

During the pandemic, it was a shelter for more than 400 homeless people and also served as a vaccination station. Credit: AFP Photo

The 2021 edition was swiftly cancelled due to the rise of the delta variant. More than 663,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Brazil, the second-highest of any country in the world, according to Our World in Data, an online research site. Credit: Reuters Photo

Entire communities rally around the competing samba schools, whose shows are a source of pride and employment since preparations require countless seamstresses, welders, costume designers, and more. Credit: Reuters Photo

Members of Portela samba school perform at the Sambodrome Marques de Sapucai in Rio de Janeiro, Brazi. Credit: AFP Photo

Drums queen Thay Magalhaes from Paraiso do Tuiuti samba school performs during the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Credit: Reuters Photo

Revellers from Paraiso do Tuiuti samba school perform during the second night of the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Credit: Reuters Photo

Drum Queen Pamela Monteiro of Portela samba school performs during the Rio's Carnival parade at the Sambadrome Marques de Sapucai in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Credit: AFP Photo