34 Mesmerizing Samba Costumes From Rio de Janeiro's Carnival

There's a reason people consider Brazil's Rio de Janeiro carnival the "greatest show on earth." It's five days of nonstop celebrations, music, and dancing and some of the most beautiful costumes complete with glitter, feather, sequins, and headpieces that look like they came straight from the gods' wildest and colorful dreams.

The parade that we know and love, have watched every year on TV, and dream of going to one day is actually a competition between the best samba schools in the city. Each one picks a theme, and they spend a year developing it, learning the choreography, getting comfortable in their heels, and crafting the amazing outfits that each year become more intricate and fabulous.

Keep scrolling to see just some of the most impressive and mesmerizing costumes from Rio's famous carnival.