Almost a month after the program was announced, the Curitiba Festival revealed the event's opener: the class-show “Samba: the Schools and their Narratives,” created by Milton Cunha. The show will bring all the joy and history of Carnival to Pedreira Paulo Leminski in two performances, on March 30 (by invitation) and March 31 (open to the public), at 20h30. Ticket sales begin this Thursday (5/03), on the official event website and at the physical box office at Shopping Mueller. The information was published on the Fringe website.
Cunha, who was the event's master of ceremonies in 2025, will be joined by a large cast with 45 members from schools of Rio de Janeiro's Special Group. Among the artists are passistas, baianas, mestre-sala and porta-bandeira couples, members of the front commission, ritmistas and destaques, in addition to special appearances such as Mestre Ciça, Nilce Fran and Luara Bombom.
Samba Plot
“Samba: the Schools and their Narratives,” a production by Milton Cunha with the Curitiba Festival, makes its debut in the Lúcia Camargo Showcase. In the show, the carnavalesco, set designer, and commentator will tell the history of the Samba Schools parade, a century-old narrative that is genuinely Brazilian. With all due proportions kept, Curitiba will have its moments of Praça da Apoteose, and the audience will be able to feel a bit of the emotion that takes over the Marquês de Sapucaí Sambadrome during Carnival.
The plot of the presentation reveals the meaning of each segment in a parade and tells how the mestre-sala and porta-bandeira couple must present and protect the School's flag, why the baianas are the guardians of the memories, knowledge, and flavors of each community, while the passistas must demonstrate their ancestral art of samba no pé.
Bateria at Pedreira
Conducted by Mestre Ciça – a veteran stalwart honored in Unidos do Viradouro's championship parade in 2026 – a bateria will be formed especially for the show. Along with Ciça, dozens of ritmistas will present and play instruments such as surdo, snare, tamborim, chocalho, repique, and tarol. To delight the eyes, the luxury destaques will also display their costumes alongside the other members.
Milton Cunha – the opener of the Curitiba Festival
The class-show coming to Curitiba is the result of extensive master's and doctoral research by Milton Cunha, one of the greatest authorities on Carnival and the most popular celebrity today in this universe. He is a Carnival ambassador and scholar with international standing. With two postdoctorates, in addition to being a set designer, commentator, and judge at various events, he works as a professor, lecturer, and consultant in Brazil and abroad, with activities in countries such as Canada, Portugal, and Argentina, among others. Cunha is also an ambassador and commentator of the Boi - Parintins Festival.
34th Curitiba Festival
From 30/3 to 12/4 of 2026
Free and paid tickets up to R$85 (plus administrative fees), on sale on the website www.festivaldecuritiba.com.br and at the exclusive physical box office at Shopping Mueller - Floor L3 (Monday to Saturday, from 10h to 22h and, Sundays and holidays, from 14h to 20h).
Check the age ratings and advisories for each show. Also consult all the shows that offer accessibility with Audio Description and Libras interpreters. Special discounts for employees of sponsoring companies, discount clubs, and associations.
