Show goes on in Rio

GO NICHE: SO HOT are the costumes at Rio's famous Carnival, it may be no surprise to hear they went up in smoke earlier this month in a catastrophic mishap just weeks before the big event.

Arson is not suspected and no other reason has been put forward for the blaze so it’s not too much of a stretch to surmise that they simply self-combusted.

But whatever the cause of the blaze at Samba City, the workshops behind the Carnival, it is devastating news for the community groups involved. Most have been building their floats and costumes for the past eight months.

An estimated €4 million worth of damage was done, a financial loss the community groups involved are not well placed to absorb.

On top of that is the worry of a larger tourism impact if tourism numbers are in turn affected.

In a normal year, the parades of Carnival are estimated to be worth €365 million to the city.

Then of course there is the immeasurable heartache of seeing all that hard work vanishing into the ether. In all 12 floats and some 3,300 costumes were destroyed.

Though there is a highly contested competition element to the floats put forward by various neighbourhoods during Carnival, this year judges have said those affected by the fire will not be scored.

At the same time, rival community groups have rowed in with offers of help in a bid to ensure the show goes on.

Anyone over here with the time and money to make their own show of solidarity can join in the fun of what has been called the greatest show on earth with a five-night trip to Rio for £1,755 (around €2,080), including ticket to the Sambadrome, from UK operator Journey Latin America.

* journeylatinamerica.co.uk