Rio Intensifies Beach Enforcement as Summer Operation Escalates

Overview

• City officials reported 27 unlicensed parking attendants taken to police, 429 illegal-parking fines and about 50 vehicles towed during Saturday’s crackdown.
• Vehicle access to Prainha and Grumari was closed once roughly 800 spaces filled, with weekend controls from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. running through May 1, 2026, and Copacabana now bans left‑lane parking on weekends.
• Operação Verão fields up to about 1,000 municipal agents on crowded days, and the 30th Pride Parade in Copacabana triggered a special plan with 810 city agents, nearly 1,360 military police, drones, 21 long‑range cameras, traffic detours and health services.
• About 250 QR‑coded signs are being installed along the waterfront to direct beachgoers to the full list of permitted and prohibited items and behaviors.
• Reporters observed continuing violations on the sand, including skewered foods, loudspeakers and drinks in glass, despite the stepped‑up inspections.