Every year, Copacabana Beach plays host to Rio de Janeiro’s main New Year party. This year, around two million people are expected to attend and watch the traditional fireworks display. A new feature will be a countdown to the New Year, projected onto the Rio 2016 Wheel, a Ferris wheel located at Copacabana Fort, which is a symbol of Rio de Janeiro’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Friendly conviviality is one of the main traits of Rio’s New Year celebrations, which attract large numbers of Brazilian and international tourists. People of all social classes and religious beliefs mingle harmoniously along the beachfront. Brazilians traditionally wear white clothes and make wishes for the coming year.

This year, the spectators will watch a 20-minute firework show themed on the four elements of nature, followed by samba shows. The party takes place peacefully every year. Revelers’ safety is the priority for the organizers, who make careful preparations to optimize crowd movements. This know how makes Rio de Janeiro an apt city in which to host major events.

Throughout living memory, Cariocas have celebrated the New Year on Copacabana Beach, but it was only in the mid-1970s that the former Le Méridien hotel began putting on firework displays, which cascaded down from the top of the building. This act encouraged the hotel and restaurant trade, together with the city government, to organize ever more grandiose displays. Copacabana now attracts huge crowds, who congregate with one purpose: to greet the New Year and hope that it is even better than the one that is ending.

Similar celebrations occur in another eight parts of the city. In Barra da Tijuca, a district that possesses various important sports venues, a spectacular party has been planned, with a 15-minute firework display from the tops of hotels, followed by electronic music shows. Other districts that have organized major New Years parties and firework displays include Ramos, Penha, the island of Paquetá, Pedra de Guaratiba and Ilha do Governador.

The Rio 2016 Wheel will open to the public on 2 January, and will stay open until 1 March, the anniversary of the city’s founding. The inauguration will feature diverse entertainment options, including lively bars, and an exhibition showcasing the Rio 2016 bid.