Brazil Carnival street party do's and don'ts: A survival kit from veterans to beginners

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is for the uninitiated an energetic spectacle of joy, beauty and just-let-it-go. But for revelers with years of experience it is also a test of endurance, street-wise culture and pacing that allows them to still be standing after four days of festivities.

A balance between dos and don’ts is also needed, veteran Brazilian Carnival partygoers assure. Drinking water under Rio’s scorching summer heat is a must. But drinking too much of it requires revelers to find a bathroom, and that can be a scathing experience.

Eating a sound breakfast is key for energy, but a bit too much could mean a very slow walk along the cobblestone streets as other revelers speed up their pace.

Sunday marks the second official day of the bash, which ends on Ash Wednesday.

Geography and history professor Helena Lemos, 67, who also goes by her Hare Krishna name Kunti Devi Dasi, has been a Rio Carnival reveler since her teenage years. She is playing different drumming instruments in five street parties this year, and her survival kit is always with her.

“I am vegetarian, so my food kit is very light, just dried fruit, almonds, raisins. These will give you energy, won’t add to your weight and will keep you cool,” Lemos, who wore a light white shirt and sunglasses, told The Associated Press before her first street party on Friday in the bohemian region of Santa Teresa, in downtown Rio.

“Earlier, I had lemon tea for breakfast to have an easier digestion, had some tapioca pancakes and some coffee for stamina," she said. "I had a fruit smoothie to get some more energy and then some creatine. When I get back, I will have isotonic drinks because we can’t have them before the street parties.”

Pharmacist Ana Rodrigues Andrade, 44, is playing in nine street parties during this Carnival edition. Years ago she did 15 and still showed up at the city’s glitzy sambadrome to parade for three samba schools. Her main tips regard resting in between parties and bringing hygiene items.

“Under this sun you obviously need sunscreen, you leave home wearing it. You got to prepare it at home and also bring some. Women do need to bring toilet paper and hand sanitizers because the situation of bathrooms during a street party is not good at all. Bring it in a little purse,” Andrade said, as she carried a large drum kit by her belly. “It is also worth bringing a lot of adhesive tape if you’re playing an instrument, so you don’t hurt your hands.”

Physical education teacher Diego Tiriba, 49, has been a Rio Carnival reveler since his childhood. His strategy is being more frugal when he is on the streets and doing most of the preparation at home. He is also concerned about security in a city where criminal activity is considerable.

“I bring a money belt with some cash, a credit card, a bus card, my medical insurance card and the keys to my home, my cellphone and nothing else,” a shirtless Tiriba said, as he removed the money belt from under his shorts. Many women hide their cellphones and money under their shirts.

Most veteran revelers in Rio do not recommend buying food during street parties. Any indigestion might become a major problem at a time when millions are out and public bathrooms might be far. They also say that beer and fast-paced street parties do not go well together on very hot days, for that combination could end in dizziness.

But even longtime revelers make their mistakes.

“Once I spread sunscreen only on my face, the rest of my body was all red,” pharmacist Andrade said. “Today I will have trouble again, I forgot my knee braces to protect from the drum.”

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Stilt walkers perform during the Amigos da Onca Carnival street party in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A child performs on stilts during the Amigos da Onca Carnival street party, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A reveler performs during the Amigos da Onca Carnival street party in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Revelers attend the Amigos da Onca Carnival street party, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Raquel Poti performs on stilts during the Amigos da Onca Carnival street party, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

MILAN (AP) — Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Canada are rolling into the knockout round at the Olympics as the best team in the tournament.

They may have put the top seed out of the Americans' reach.

Crosby and McDavid each had a goal and two assists in a clinical, businesslike 10-2 dismantling of France on Sunday, which included Tom Wilson fighting the player who delivered a forearm to Nathan MacKinnon's face.

MacKinnon returned and Wilson was ejected, since fighting is a game misconduct under international rules.

Canada finished round robin play unbeaten, outscoring opponents by 17 goals over three games.

The U.S. would need to beat Germany by 10 or more goals on Sunday night to overtake Canada for the No. 1 seed. A win of any kind short of that would put the U.S. second and on a crash course to face seventh-seeded Sweden in the quarterfinals, and an unexpected regulation loss would shake up the already surprising standings.

Sweden is quite the formidable opponent, though Canada showed in the preliminary round that it has the skill, size and finishing ability to skate any other team in Milan out of the building. McDavid has nine points in his first nine periods to lead all scorers at his first Olympics, and Crosby has been great at 38 in his third looking to go 3 for 3 in gold medals.

Macklin Celebrini, Canada's youngest player at 19, scored on a penalty shot and on the power play against France to give him four goals in three games.

Wilson, picked by coach Jon Cooper to ride shotgun on the top line on McDavid's right wing, had a goal along with some big hits.

Mark Stone scored short-handed with 3.4 seconds left in the first period and had two assists. Brandon Hagel had Canada's ninth goal in the third before Celebrini scored the 10th.

Canada outshot France 46-13, making life as easy as possible on goaltender Jordan Binnington, who might want the second goal back but should still be in net Wednesday in the quarterfinals, likely against Czechia or Germany.

Rallying around the absence of injured winger Kevin Fiala, Switzerland beat Czechia 4-3 in overtime to give itself an easy path to the quarterfinals.

Winning the preliminary round finale means captain Roman Josi's team will almost certainly face France or also winless host Italy in the qualification playoffs Tuesday.

“We knew it was a big game,” said Josi, the Nashville Predators defenseman who scored Switzerland's first goal by banking the puck off Radko Gudas' left skate and in. "Obviously a lot of up and downs in that third period but found a way. It was a huge win against a really good team.”

Former Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dean Kukan scored the overtime winner. In 172 NHL regular-season and playoff games, he had just six goals and ranked this one top three in his career.

“I was first thinking about passing, but (Czechia's Radek Simek) gave me a little bit too much room,” Kukan said. “The shot from there is always dangerous.”

Timo Meier of the New Jersey Devils and Pius Suter of the St. Louis Blues also scored for Switzerland, and 38-year-old national team goaltender Leonardo Genoni stopped 29 of the 32 shots he faced.

Fiala, the Los Angeles Kings' second-leading scorer, had surgery to repair what the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation only called a lower left leg injury. He sent his teammates a video message from his hospital bed, and coach Patrick Fischer hopes Fiala is back at the athletes' village Monday.

“He’s still with us,” said Nico Hischer, who captains the Devils in the NHL. "We’ll play for him. And obviously you hate to see injury like that. He’s one of our best players, so it’s obviously a tough loss for us. But we know he’s still engaged with us, and he’ll cheer us on.”

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Czechia's Tomas Hertl (48) is challenged by Switzerland's Damien Riat (9) during a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Switzerland and Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Switzerland players celebrate their victory after a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Switzerland and Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Canada's Macklin Celebrini (17) scores on a penalty shot in the second period against France's goalkeeper Julian Junca (33) during a preliminary round game of men's ice hockey between Canada and France at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Canada's Macklin Celebrini (17) scores a goal on a penalty shot in the second period against France's goalkeeper Julian Junca (33) during a preliminary round game of men's ice hockey between Canada and France at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Canada's Mark Stone (61) celebrates after scoring a goal against France's goalkeeper Julian Junca (33) and France's Jules Boscq (27) in the first period during a preliminary round game of men's ice hockey between Canada and France at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)