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In 2026, the Marquis of Sapucaí will become a great stage to honor artists who helped write the history of Brazilian culture. Names that have become legends and now earn honors in the sambas-plot.
Each school chose a name. Each name carries a legacy. And each legacy will be told in verses, fantasies and a lot of emotion.
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See who are the artists who will have their story sung by thousands of voices at Carnival 2026:
Rita Lee – Mitocio Independent de Padre Miguel
“Rita Lee, the patron saint of freedom” will be the youth war cry next year. Father Miguel’s school will wear Sapucaí in the colors of rebellion and creativity to honor the rocker that left his legacy in the music.
The parade will address the musical, aesthetic and behavioral revolution promoted by Rita, who died in 2023. Carnival Renato Lage’s proposal is to transform Sapucaí into a tribute to boldness and authenticity of the national rock queen.
Ney Matogrosso – Empress Leopoldinense
Ney Matogrosso will be the plot of Empress Leopoldinense in a parade that aims to translate into allegory what he represents: transgression, beauty and freedom.
At 84, Ney will be celebrated in life by a school that already collects nine titles in the special group. Carnival Leandro Vieira promises a parade that mixes music, and boldness, bringing out the aesthetics and importance of the artist who challenged genres and patterns.
Heitor dos Prazeres – United of Vila Isabel
The blue and white of Noel Rosa turns his gaze to the past with the plot “Macumbembê, Samborembá: I dreamed that a sambista dreamed of Africa”, which honors the multiartist Hector of Pleasures.
Singer, songwriter, painter and central figure at the foundation of the first samba schools in the country, Heitor will be remembered for his artistic and cultural legacy. Vila Isabel promises to relive the connection between Africa and Brazil through the color, sounds and dreams of Hector.
Rosa Magalhães – Academics of Salgueiro
The greatest champion in the history of the Sambadrome will also be a plot theme at Carnival 2026. Rosa Magalhães, deceased in 2024, will be revered by the willow with the plot “The delirious carnival journey of the teacher who was not afraid of witch, cod or the pau pirate”.
Plastic artist, teacher, set designer and costume designer, Rosa marked Carnival with memorable parades, playful plots and aesthetic richness. The choice of Salgueiro, a school where she debuted as a carnival, also brings a layer of affective memory and recognition to her story.
