(ATR) As the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1, Rio de Janeiro will celebrate the first Olympic Games to come to South America.
During the annual Réveillon, celebrations on Copcabana Beach, Olympic flair will be added to the traditional Brazilian staples for the celebrations.
City Hall confirmed to Around the Rings the theme for this year’s show is "Rio, Olympic City," and close to 900,000 tourists will make their way to Rio to take in the spectacle.
"The Copacabana New Year's Eve could not but reinforce the joy of city to receive such an important event, representing the union of the people," Antonio Pedro Figueira de Melo, Rio de Janeiro secretary of tourism, said in a statement provided to ATR.
"The Rio de Janeiro is the first South American city to host the Olympics, which is a source of great satisfaction for all of us. To celebrate the occasion, we chose samba as the party's tone, with special attractions such as artists that tell the story of 100 years of Brazilian music."
The celebration is billed as the "largest New Year’s party in the world" by the city, while other smaller celebrations will take place all over the city.
Over 16 minutes of fireworks will be launched from barges in the Atlantic Ocean to celebrate the New Year, with nearly two million spectators on Copacabana Beach. The Rio 2016 "look of the Games" will be represented through green, orange, and violet fireworks, according to the firework designers Beto Villares and Antonio Pinto.
Villares and Pinto are also involved with the Rio 2016 ceremonies, and say the fireworks display pays homage to sportsmanship and Olympic values, by highlighting Brazilian traditions.
In addition to fireworks, musical performances will take place on two stages built on the beach, and samba performances will happen up and down the Avenia Atlantica that runs parallel with the ocean.
Celebrants are encouraged to wear white for Réveillon, as is tradition and after the fireworks have concluded are expected to jump over seven waves in the ocean for good luck.
Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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