Brazilian actress Paolla Oliveira shared behind-the-scenes video clips on Tuesday, November 10, showing her preparations to return to Rio de Janeiro's Carnival in 2027 with the Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school, drawing praise from fellow star Anitta.
Oliveira, 44, will take on the high-profile role of drum section queen, known in Brazil as rainha de bateria, when Imperatriz Leopoldinense parades at the Marquês de Sapucaí Sambadrome next year. The montage posted to her Instagram account gave followers a look at the routine behind her comeback after a year away from the avenue.
In the footage, the actress appears testing musical instruments, dancing ahead of rehearsals, fitting ornate Carnival headpieces, and posing for photo shoots. Before heading out to one event, she joked that her neighbours never expected to see her leaving home once again covered in glitter.
The video also captured the physical training required for the parade down the Sambadrome. Laughing during the recording, Oliveira remarked on the need to do squats before dancing samba, asking what the exercises were for before answering that they were necessary so she and her team could live that moment.
At another point in the compilation, the television star stirred nostalgia among longtime followers by revisiting several of the old costumes she wore in previous Carnival parades. In the caption accompanying the post, she wrote that the excitement starts inside her own home and that plenty of Carnival takes place behind the scenes.
Anitta and fan reactions to Paolla Oliveira's Carnival post
Friends and fans filled the comments section to applaud Oliveira's enthusiasm for the upcoming festivities. One follower wrote that the actress's energy was in a very beautiful place for the 2027 Carnival campaign and that she looked lighter, while another praised the behind-the-scenes footage and asked her to keep bringing more.
A third commenter joked that Oliveira was doing brilliantly playing the xequerê and was about to move on to phase two. The xequerê, known in English as a shekere, is an Afro-Brazilian percussion instrument made from a dried gourd wrapped in a woven net of beads that is shaken and struck to keep rhythm.
Brazilian singer Anitta also left a comment admiring the Rio native, calling her very beautiful. Anitta is set to take over as drum section queen for the Grande Rio samba school in the 2027 Carnival, stepping into a prominent position that Oliveira herself previously held.
In Brazilian Carnival, the drum section queen is one of the most visible figures in a samba school's parade. Dancers in the role perform directly in front of the percussionists, helping maintain the crowd's energy as the school marches down the Sapucaí avenue.
Ramos street rehearsal in a gold outfit
The behind-the-scenes montage followed Oliveira's appearance over the previous weekend at Imperatriz Leopoldinense's first street rehearsal of the season in the Rio de Janeiro neighbourhood of Ramos, where the school is based.
For the open-air community practice, the actress wore a crown paired with a sparkling gold bodysuit. In photographs shared on her Instagram profile, she highlighted details of the gold outfit alongside the neutral makeup look she chose for the event.
Street rehearsals are a regular fixture of the Rio Carnival calendar in the months leading up to February. They allow a samba school's percussionists, singers, and community members to rehearse their parade anthem and marching cadence on local streets before entering the Sambadrome.
Paolla Oliveira's 2027 return with Imperatriz Leopoldinense
After spending a year away from the Carnival parades, Oliveira confirmed in late September that she would return to the annual spectacle in 2027 as the drum section queen for Imperatriz Leopoldinense.
Speaking to the press at the time of her announcement, the actress said that Carnival lives inside her, as the public well knows. She added that life holds the beauty of the unexpected, where people realise there can still be many beautiful things ahead to experience without ever losing sight of everything already lived.
For the 2027 competition, Imperatriz Leopoldinense will parade with the theme A Memória do Rei e o Sumiço de Dona Júlia (The Memory of the King and the Disappearance of Dona Júlia), created by Carnival artistic director Leandro Vieira.
The Ramos samba school will be the fourth group to march down the Marquês de Sapucaí Sambadrome on Carnival Monday, scheduled for February 8, 2027. Its performance will close out the Monday parades as Imperatriz Leopoldinense competes for the 10th championship title in its history.
