Carnival doesn't only take place in the sambodromo and night clubs/balls; it also takes place in the streets and it's there that Banda de Ipanema, an official popular street parade, draws large GLBT crowds blended with the good humour and colours sported by the drag queens. All of this makes for an electrifying street party atmosphere.

The city does not sleep and the gay scene boasts a huge choice of entertainment ranging from circuit parties, after-hours clubs, pool parties and regular clubs, to an ever-growing number of bars. It has an infrastructure geared up to gay tourism with great emphasis on the comfort and beauty of the city which becomes irresistible even in the face of the inevitable favela-focused violence. Every year the expectation is for Rio to have an even larger, more magnificent Carnival than the previous.

For those who fly in a bit earlier to avoid the high air-fare prices, Banda de Ipanema warms up for Carnival with a parade the weekend before the official parties start. The parade is made up of a samba music band followed by the street partiers. But this is no ordinary parade; the crowd dances in a tightly-packed fashion where a lot of groping, teasing, and flirting goes on.

You've probably heard of The Girl from Ipanema, the title of a song made famous by Brazilian composers Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim. Well, never mind her; she's had her time. Now we're talking about the boy from Ipanema.

Rio de Janeiro is a city of over six million people, not just a beach resort; which means that no matter how large the number of tourists coming for Carnival, the city will never be like Sitges or Ibiza, where, during the high season, there are more foreigners than locals and as a result the place loses character.