The traditional setting for samba school parades during Carioca Carnival celebrations as well as for national and international artists’ concerts, Sambódromo will once again find itself in full swing from this Friday, with the greatest Brazilian popular celebration. First Rio 2016™ Olympic and Paralympic Games venue to be delivered, a year ago Sambódromo was renovated in order to increase its capacity from 60 thousand to 72,500 spectators, thus concluding the initial project by Oscar Niemeyer, the architect.

In 2016, the venue will host the archery competitions, as well as the marathon’s start and finish. Not usually the place to host sporting competitions, Sambódromo is a clear example of the Games integration with the city. Athletes and Sports Directors praised the possibility of hosting competitions in a world renowned setting.

“After the London Games, we had the official visit of the World Archery Federation (FITA in French) and we explained the project’s details. As part of the competition between sporting disciplines in order to grab the public’s and the media’s attention, archery will be hosted in a very important venue that highlights a not so famous sport in Brazil in a very special way”, stated Guilherme Marques, one of Rio 2016™ Sport Group Managers. “It is an added value, an attention grabber, joining archery and a city icon. Every detail counts. There will be a special atmosphere”.

Brazilian athletes are euphoric with the possibility of performing in front of tens of thousands spectators. “We visited Sambódromo after the reopening. It was the first time I stepped into this Rio historic place. It is really wonderful to imagine people cheering for the Brazilians. I am highly motivated to represent Brazil during Rio 2016™ and to live the incredible experience of shooting arrows in this venue”, said the archer Daniel Xavier, the sport’s only Brazilian representative in London 2012 and the country’s first athlete to surpass 1,300 points in an international competition.

Fátima Rocha, who competed at the last four editions of the Pan-American Games, from Winnipeg 1999 to Guadalajara 2011, has a similar opinion. “It is a great pleasure to talk about the Sambódromo as the place where our arrows will fly. This choice has the same charm and identity as the archery venues in Athens 2004 (Panathinaiko Stadium) and London 2012 (Lord’s Cricket Ground). I hope the easy access will arouse the public’s curiosity and encourage their presence”, she said.

Besides the Carioca Carnival celebrations, the Sambódromo served as the stage for some of the world’s greatest artists, such as the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Supertramp, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and Roger Water, among others. Lulu Santos, Titãs, Paralamas do Sucesso, Ira!, Barão Vermelho and Jorge Ben Jor are among the Brazilian music icons that performed in the venue.