Everything you need to know about Brazilica 2022

Liverpool’s home to one of the most incredible colourful carnivals and it’s coming back to absolutely electrify the streets of the city centre this summer.

Brazilica is the only festival of its kind to be held anywhere in the UK, dedicated to the pulsating samba rhythms and fabulous dancers of Brazil.

It’s been missing for the past two years because of Covid restrictions, but now it’s about to return and get August off to the brightest possible start.

It’s such a fabulous spectacle, definitely one not to be missed, so here’s everything you need to know about Brazilica 2022 …

When is it happening?

Brazilica is on Saturday August. The bands and dancers will be gathering and practicing at Abercromby Square from about 6pm and then the parade is due to start at 7.30pm.

What is the parade route?

This year’s parade is taking the same route as in previous years, so it will head along Hope Street, down Hardman Street and Bold Street and then make its way to Williamson Square where it’s due to arrive at about 9pm. As each group reaches Williamson Square, it will give a static performance so if you can’t see the parade while it’s walking then this is a great place to catch all the performers.

Who’s taking part?

There’ll be around 13 bands coming from London and all over the country to join in this year’s festival, they include the Wirral Samba Drummers, WorldWise Samba Drummers from Preston, Samba Espirito from Lancaster and Chester-based Karamba Samba. As well as the musicians, the parade will also feature dancers including a group from Liverpool Samba School in Toxteth.

What else will there be to see?

In among the musicians and dancers will be brightly-decorated floats, which will be carrying two huge heads, based on orixas which are deities in the Candomblé religion. The religion, which originates in Africa, is very popular in Brazil and Candomblé translates as ‘dance in honour of the gods.’

Is there anything after the parade?

Yes, the infectious rhythms will be carrying on into the early hours at an after-party at District in the Baltic Triangle. It starts at 10pm and goes on until 3am as a traditional thank you from Brazilica organisers to the performers who’ve taken part. It’s ticketed, so anyone can go along and join in the fun on the dancefloor, and there’ll be extra performances from a few of the bands as well as DJs playing house, samba and all things Latin.

Get tickets here.

Why does Liverpool have Brazilica and no other city in the UK?

The Brazilica Festival dates back to Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year in 2008 when it was founded by Maeve and Roger Morris, so allowing for the two years that had to be cancelled this will be the 12th. The couple started Liverpool Samba School more than 20 years ago and have stayed passionate about bringing Brazilian music and culture to the city ever since.

“This is the only Brazilian festival in the country,” says Maeve. “Notting Hill is more Caribbean, even though it does have samba bands in it, but we wanted to be specifically samba.

“Myself and my husband started Liverpool Samba School 20-odd years ago, based in the old library on Lodge Lane, because it’s something we’ve always been really interested in. We’ve actually taken the school to Brazil twice and we played in the Parade of Champions at the Rio Carnival. 

“We get such a lot of support from the city for Brazilica every year, volunteers come to help decorate the floats in the morning, there’s usually a really big turn-out lining the streets and the atmosphere is so infectious. That’s why we get people coming here year after year wanting to be part of it because the Liverpool crowds are just so amazing. For a lot of people, it’s their favourite festival of the year.

“Once you’ve got an appreciative crowd, it’s a two-way thing because it makes everyone happy and everyone buzz, that’s performers and the people watching.”

Follow Brazilica on Instagram here.

Featured image credit: Tim Baker