São Paulo could have street Carnival in April despite lack of public support

Most Brazilian state capitals suspended Carnival celebrations at the end of February as mayors feared it would propagate the spread of the Omicron variant and thus overburden public health systems. But as the coronavirus continues to recede in Brazil (the seven-day average of new daily deaths has dropped below the 200 mark, almost its lowest since the start of the pandemic), revelers want their Carnival back.

Organizations representing over 420 street parades in São Paulo announced their intention to take to the streets between April 21, a national holiday, and April 24. City Hall, however, is set against authorizing the parades.

The Carnival industry in Brazil generated at least BRL 10 billion (USD 2.2 billion) in revenue a year prior to the pandemic. With the Carnival economy being highly informal, a big chunk of that money doesn’t make it into the stats, however.

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