Viradouro won the title but ranks 4th in the most streamed samba-enredos for Rio's 2026 Carnival, while Beija-Flor's samba leads in streaming numbers.
The samba-enredo of Beija-Flor de Nilópolis has emerged as the most played among the Special Group schools for the 2026 Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, boasting the highest number of streams on both Spotify and YouTube. Despite Beija-Flor's popularity, the school finished second in the overall competition, scoring 269.9 points and just 0.1 points behind the champion school, Viradouro. This highlights the competitive nature of the samba-enredo contest, where streaming figures can reflect broader public engagement with each school's theme.
The samba-enredo titled "Bembé" has amassed impressive streaming numbers, with over 2.1 million plays on Spotify and 1.4 million views on YouTube. The report used official playlists and clips from the Rio Carnival to analyze the popularity of the samba-enredos. The theme of "Bembé" draws inspiration from the famous Bembé do Mercado festival, known as the largest street candomblé celebration in the world, which occurs in Santo Amaro, Bahia. This cultural connection emphasizes the importance of Afro-Brazilian religious practices in the samba-enredo performances and the narratives they convey.
Despite the rankings, the vibrancy of the carnival and its music underscores the ongoing relevance of samba-enredos not just as entertainment, but also as a means of cultural expression and solidarity within the Afro-Brazilian community. The competition between schools reflects various artistic interpretations of cultural themes, and the streaming data suggests a growing trend in how audiences engage with this cultural phenomenon in the digital age.
