Rio Carnival

Every year before Lent, the whole of Rio is taken over by the pulse of samba drums. From sweat-soaked blocos dancing on street corners to floats taller than apartment blocks rolling down Oscar Niemeyer's Sambadrome, this is the biggest and most gloriously unreasonable party on earth. Buy a grandstand seat, let your heartbeat fall into step with a drum corps of thousands, and you will understand why Brazilians live all year for these few days.