The Champions Parade of the 2026 Carnival brought together the top six schools from the Special Group at Marquês de Sapucaí in Rio de Janeiro on the night of February 21. Unidos do Viradouro, the winner with 270 points, closed the night after performances by Mangueira, Imperatriz Leopoldinense, Salgueiro, Vila Isabel, and Beija-Flor. Rede Globo aired only the opening show, sparking criticism on social media for not broadcasting the full parade on open TV.
The Champions Parade took place on the night of Sunday, February 21, 2026, at Marquês de Sapucaí, gathering an estimated crowd of over 70,000 people. The first school to enter the avenue was Estação Primeira de Mangueira at 10 p.m., followed by Imperatriz Leopoldinense at 11:20 p.m., Acadêmicos do Salgueiro at 12:40 a.m., Unidos de Vila Isabel at 2 a.m., Beija-Flor de Nilópolis at 3:20 a.m., and finally the champion Unidos do Viradouro at 4:40 a.m.
Viradouro won the Rio Carnival title with 270 points, thanks to the samba-enredo 'Pra Cima, Ciça!', a tribute to Moacyr da Silva Pinto, known as Mestre Ciça. The event kicked off with an opening show honoring singer Preta Gil, who passed away in July 2025 from colorectal cancer. Artists including João Gomes, Michel Teló, and Léo Santana performed alongside interpreters Wander Pires (Unidos do Viradouro), Jéssica Martin (Beija-Flor de Nilópolis), and Pitty de Menezes (Imperatriz Leopoldinense). They sang hits, including Preta Gil's 'Sinais de Fogo'.
For broadcasting, Rede Globo aired the opening show nearly an hour after it began at Sapucaí, right after Big Brother Brasil, but did not include the full parade in its open TV schedule. Multishow broadcast the event live, available only on cable TV and Globoplay for subscribers. This choice drew outrage on social media, with users criticizing the network for favoring subscriptions. One post from Isabela (@isaterencio_) read: 'Champions parade Globo is also taking half an hour to start showing the damn parade I'm outraged'. Another from yo (@kanyefromwest) stated: 'Damn hate I thought the champions parade would be on Globoplay but it's only for Multishow subscribers Globo mercenary'.
Celebrities such as Anitta, Rebeca Andrade, Iza, and Renata Sorrah, who turned 79, were spotted in the boxes, adding glamour to the Carnival's finale.
