New Year's Eve in Rio de Janeiro: Our Copacabana Experience

Being Brazilian, our image of an ideal New Year’s Eve is a warm place. For us, New Year’s Eve is not just a date on the calendar, but a mix of expectations, tradition, and emotion. We usually like to wait for the countdown and, if possible, be on a beach enjoying the warmth the sea. While visiting family in the interior of Brazil, we decided that for New Year’s we would go to the coast, and Rio de Janeiro was the most desired destination.

There are a few reasons for that. It is a beautiful place, with mountains, sea, and amazing beaches. Another reason is the weather, as it is really warm. But the biggest reason is the famous fireworks show at Copacabana Beach.

I had been to Rio once about 12 years ago, but my wife had never been. So, beyond visiting family, it felt like a great opportunity to do some sightseeing and experience the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

One of my main concerns before the trip was safety. Rio is famous for being one of the most dangerous cities in Brazil, and during my last visit I was almost robbed.

In this post, I want to share how our trip to Rio went, and mainly how New Year’s Eve at Copacabana Beach was. I will focus on what worked well, what was challenging, and what I would consider if I did it again.

Hotel

After deciding on Rio, the next big question was where to stay.

Accommodation during New Year’s Eve in Rio is very expensive, especially in Copacabana. Hotels usually charge several times their normal daily rate. We did a lot of research and booked about nine months in advance, in March, which helped us secure a decent place for a reasonable price.

We stayed at the Copacabana Mar Hotel, about two blocks from the beach. The location was great for us, as we went to the beach multiple times.

Overall, it was a simple hotel. The bed was good, but the place felt a bit old. There was a small rooftop pool, which was nice but basic, with only two sun umbrellas.

Copacabana Beach

Since we were staying so close, Copacabana Beach naturally became where we spent most of our time.

Copacabana Beach is impressive. It has a huge, wide stretch of sand. It is not as blue as Cancun, but it is bigger and wider. It is one of the best beaches we have visited.

There are many people selling things along the beach. This can be annoying, but it also means you do not need to bring much with you. You can rent beach chairs and umbrellas and buy food and drinks easily. We rented two beach chairs and a large umbrella for R$100 and also bought caipirinhas there.

You can find almost everything on the beach, from food and drinks to clothes. Copacabana really has it all.

Prices vary a lot. Vendors often set prices based on how you look, so haggling is important. This is especially true if they notice you do not speak Portuguese. Even though we speak Portuguese, we sometimes got higher prices because our accent is not from Rio. We also saw English speakers being quoted even higher prices. You can usually negotiate, but you can also just pay if the difference does not bother you.

Sometimes we knowingly paid a bit more, simply because we saw how hard they were working under the sun. It is not an easy job.

When we were there, the sea was very rough and dangerous, so most people did not go into the water.

The temperature was around 35 degrees Celsius, which was good, though a bit too hot for me.

Bathrooms were a challenge on the beach, especially on the 31st. There were some portable toilets, but many were still being installed during the day, so finding a place to use the bathroom was not easy.

Ipanema Beach

To compare with Copacabana, we also spent some time at Ipanema Beach.

We made a brief stop at Ipanema Beach. The sea there was much calmer, and many more people were swimming. If you plan to go into the water, Ipanema might be the better choice.

There were fewer vendors compared to Copacabana, but you could still find drinks and food, just with less variety.

This was the only beach where we were able to comfortably enter the water, so we ended up liking it more. It gave us the beach vibe we were looking for: relax under the umbrella, go for a swim, come back, and repeat.

Sugarloaf Mountain

Besides the beaches and New Year’s Eve celebrations, we also wanted to see some of Rio’s main landmarks.

Late December is probably one of the worst times for sightseeing in Rio because of the number of tourists. Still, since we were there, we decided to visit some of the main attractions.

Sugarloaf Mountain is one of Rio’s most famous sights. You take a cable car from the ground to the top.

We recommend getting the fast pass, as it was much quicker than the regular line. We went around 4 p.m. hoping to catch the sunset, but it was cloudy, so the sunset was not very visible. Even so, the view was beautiful.

As with most tourist attractions, it was crowded, making it hard to take the perfect photo. With patience, though, you can still enjoy the view and take some good pictures.

Christ the Redeemer

After visiting Sugarloaf, we went to another iconic spot.

Christ the Redeemer is probably the most famous attraction in Rio. We went around 8:30 a.m. on January 2, and it was already very crowded.

We took the train up, which takes about 20 minutes. At the top, there is not much to do beyond enjoying the view and taking photos with the statue. There is also a small chapel at the base of Christ.

Taking a good photo here is even harder than at Sugarloaf.

Even though it is not cheap, we strongly recommend going. It is one of those attractions you might regret skipping, so it is better to face the crowds than to leave without seeing it.

New Year’s Eve Fireworks and Concerts

The main reason for choosing Rio for New Year’s Eve was the celebration itself.

New Year’s Eve in Copacabana is intense. There are huge crowds. According to the news, about 2.6 million people were on the beach that night.

On the 31st, it is almost impossible to use a car or Uber in the area. We went on a helicopter tour early that day and returned around 9:30 a.m., and even then it was difficult to get back to the hotel because streets were already being closed. My recommendation is to stay nearby and avoid transportation as much as possible.

People start going to the beach very early. The concerts on the beach began around 8 p.m.

We decided to have dinner in our hotel room and head to the beach around 10:30 p.m. Our main goal was the fireworks, and we did not want to stay too long in the middle of the crowd. Being close to the beach helped a lot.

It took a few minutes to reach the beach because of the crowd, and there were police checkpoints before entering. This made us feel safer.

Walking through the crowd on the beach was difficult at times. People often bumped into each other, so patience is essential. We were pleasantly surprised by how polite people were. Many apologized when they bumped into us and asked permission to pass. It felt less chaotic than we expected.

There were two singers before midnight, both performing Brazilian music. One was MPB and the other was pagode, as far as I could tell. I am not a big listener of Brazilian music, so I might be mistaken.

The fireworks were beautiful and lasted around 12 minutes. What makes them special is that they span the entire beach, which is enormous. There were, I believe, 19 barges launching fireworks.

It was one of the most beautiful fireworks displays we have ever seen. We are a bit spoiled, since the Honda Celebration of Light in Vancouver is also excellent, and we also experienced the New Year’s fireworks in Las Vegas.

We also really enjoyed DJ Alok’s concert. I like his music, and the performance was great. The laser lights and especially the drone show were impressive.

There were around 1,200 drones, forming shapes in the sky, including Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer. It was easily the best drone show we have ever seen.

With such a large crowd, you inevitably see some unpleasant things, like drunk people or people peeing in public. Still, we saw far fewer of these situations than we expected.

Helicopter Tour

To end the trip with something different, we decided to add one more experience.

My wife had never been on a helicopter ride. When choosing activities, we were torn between paragliding and a helicopter tour. We chose the helicopter, as it felt safer since it does not rely only on wind. This was similar to our mindset when we bought our Canon EOS R7 camera for the safari. We believe in investing in equipment for once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

We wanted a bit of adventure, so we chose the doors-off option, where there are no doors on the passenger side.

It was an interesting experience. The flight passed over about 11 attractions, and the pilot pointed them out through the headset. During most of the flight, it was very windy, and you have to hold on tightly. The pilot stopped twice so we could put our legs outside the helicopter for extra adrenaline.

Even though you are secured with a seatbelt and safety harness, putting your legs outside feels strange. I tried it briefly but pulled my feet back in quickly. It was not very pleasant for me.

It was the most expensive activity we did, costing around C$700 for two people for a 30-minute flight.

It was a unique experience, but I am not sure it was worth the price for us.

Safety

Given our concerns before the trip, safety deserves its own section.

As mentioned earlier, safety was a big concern for us. Rio has a reputation for being dangerous, and my past experience made us extra cautious.

When visiting tourist attractions, we usually took an Uber directly from the hotel and avoided walking long distances.

We left almost all our belongings at the hotel, including jewelry and even my smartwatch. We carried our phones but were very careful when using them and tried to attract as little attention as possible.

We saw a lot of police presence, especially around Copacabana Beach. We felt safe walking along the beach and Avenida Atlântica, but we avoided exploring other areas on foot.

During New Year’s Eve, there were checkpoints with bag inspections and police spread throughout the beach area, which added to the feeling of safety.

The general advice for Rio is similar to any major city, but it feels even more important here because of the crowds and the scale of the events. Take only what you need, avoid drawing attention, and stay alert for pickpockets.

English Speaking

Because Rio attracts visitors from all over the world, language is something many people worry about.

We were surprised by how many English-speaking tourists were there. We also noticed many Spanish-speaking visitors.

If you only speak English, you will manage. In airports, hotels, and major tourist attractions, you will find people who speak English.

That said, do not expect Uber drivers, smaller restaurants, or street vendors to speak English. Some do, but they are the minority. This is based on what we observed around us, since we speak Portuguese and did not face this issue ourselves.

Summary

We stayed only three nights in Rio de Janeiro and spent New Year’s Eve at Copacabana Beach. It is a great experience for people who enjoy large crowds, high energy, and big celebrations. It was a very packed trip. We relaxed on the beach, visited Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain, and did a helicopter flight.

Rio de Janeiro is a very beautiful city, and I do recommend visiting it. While it has a reputation for being unsafe, if you are careful, stick to main areas like Copacabana Beach and Avenida Atlântica, and avoid carrying valuables, it can be an enjoyable trip.

Spending New Year’s Eve at Copacabana was a good experience. It was warm and sunny, and the night itself was pleasant, warm but not too hot. It was far more crowded than I personally like, so my wife enjoyed the atmosphere more than I did.

The fireworks were absolutely worth it and among the most beautiful we have ever seen.

The concerts were mostly Brazilian popular music, like MPB, pagode, and forró, along with a DJ set. My wife enjoyed the Brazilian music more, and we both enjoyed DJ Alok’s performance.

The drone show during Alok’s concert was outstanding, easily the best we have ever seen.

In the end, Rio is definitely worth visiting, but it is important to think carefully about whether spending New Year’s Eve in Copacabana fits your travel style. I am glad we experienced it once, but next time I would probably choose a quieter way to welcome the new year.

TL;DR

• Copacabana on New Year’s Eve is massive, crowded, and high energy.
• Fireworks and the drone show are truly impressive and worth seeing once.
• Staying close to the beach is essential due to road closures and crowds.
• Safety requires extra attention, but heavy police presence helps.
• Great experience overall, but not ideal if you dislike large crowds.