The first day of the special group parades at the São Paulo Carnival took place over the night of Friday, the 13th, extending into Saturday morning. This event saw significant delays coupled with enormous and technologically advanced floats, as well as extravagant allegories that dazzled attendees. The second night of parades is scheduled to begin at 10:30 PM on Saturday, featuring seven more samba schools. The overall winner will be determined based on scores from both nights, while the two lowest-scoring schools will be relegated, with results to be announced on Tuesday, the 17th.

Performances from the samba schools Dragões da Real and Rosas de Ouro captivated the audience at the Anhembi Sambadrome in northern São Paulo. Other noteworthy performances included those from Acadêmicos do Tatuapé, Colorado do Brás, and the highly celebrated Vai-Vai, which is the most successful school in the São Paulo Carnival, boasting 15 titles. This year's organization of the Carnival introduced changes, including the placement of towers along the 530-meter runway, which allowed judges to evaluate the performances closely from multiple vantage points.

However, this new positioning poses potential risks to the scoring of schools like Mocidade, as the last judges' placements could significantly impact the evaluation of the parade's perceived evolution. These factors underline the competitive nature of the event, as schools aim for high scores that will either elevate them to glory or lead to their downfall in the upcoming years.