Photography

São Paulo

Carnival 2026

[2026]

Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Kind: Personal work

One night at the parade of the samba schools in São Paulo in February 2026, with a Leica in the middle of the crowd. Floats as tall as houses, dancers waiting for their turn in costumes they can hardly carry, and a reddening sky when it was all over.

A hand rises from the crowd towards a white and gold carnival float, where a giant laughing figure carries a basket and performers cheer.

A smiling woman with glasses waits in a huge owl costume with tall brown wings, among other dancers in the same costume at night.

Seen from above through palm fronds, a performer waits inside a vast golden costume with a sunburst collar that glows in the dark.

Spectators wave large red flags at night while a glowing orange float with a dragon and an archer figure passes dancers in feathers.

A raised arm holds a bundle of pale feathers up into the glare of floodlights against the night sky.

A young man in a yellow bib carries a red cooler box on his head through a dense crowd of fans at night, glancing warily to the side.

A silver and black-and-white float with a tall statue and waving performers glitters above the crowd, a rainbow flag blurred in front.

A giant float figure of a woman warrior with face paint draws her bow against the black night sky, flanked by orange lizard sculptures.

Dancers in costumes with large green fans on their backs walk across a littered lot past white tents under a reddening sky.