Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes handed the key of the city to King Momo, marking the official launch of Carnival 2023 in full force.

The Brazilian city’s carnival is the South American country’s biggest popular festival and one of the largest carnival celebrations in the world, reports Xinhua news agency. This year, the event returns to its traditional date for the first time since the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, after it was held in April 2022.

“Last year, still under the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, we could not celebrate this very important holiday as we would have liked with a spirit of humor and joy,” Paes said. “It is with great joy, in celebration of life and democracy, that I have the honour of handing the key of the city to King Momo. Long live Rio Carnival,” the mayor exclaimed.