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Rio Lights 80-Meter Floating Christmas Tree in Botafogo Bay

A coordinated plan with controlled access, traffic closures and reinforced policing is managing large crowds through early January.

Overview

  • The installation was inaugurated on Nov. 30 with fireworks and a live program featuring Pretinho da Serrinha, Belo and Rachell Luz, drawing about 60,000 people according to organizers.
  • The structure stands 80 meters tall with roughly 2.3 million LEDs, sits about 100 meters offshore and runs nightly from 7 p.m. to midnight with water-and-light shows every 30 minutes through Jan. 6.
  • Public entry to the beachfront viewing area is routed via two underground passages at Rua São Clemente and near the Edifício Argentina, a setup that remains in place on weekends.
  • CET-Rio closed stretches of the Enseada de Botafogo and kept the Aterro do Flamengo shut after the leisure hours, while GM-Rio deployed 92 agents and PMERJ assigned 133 officers for security.
  • COR-Rio expanded monitoring with 33 additional cameras and a drone, and organizers project around 650,000 visitors over the display period.