Rio Carnival kicks off with 700-metre samba parade

Hundreds of people took part in the first night of the carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro.

Dancers performed on the top of monumental floats while orchestras with dozens of musicians played samba music.

Seven of the 13 samba schools participated in the competition.

Each samba group is judged in 10 categories, from the quality of the drum sections to the beauty of their costumes.

Whichever group comes last is not allowed to compete in the following year's competition.