The parties on Copacabana Beach are enormous. During the day hundreds of people come to the seafront to pay homage to the Afro-Brazilian orixá, or goddess, Iemanjá, placing offerings in the sea. Music is played throughout the day, but it really kicks off around 7pm when live acts and DJs start up the sound systems on the official stages.

Three stages are set up over a 4km stretch: there is a Brazilian popular music stage playing sambas, pagodes and choros, a rock stage and another playing older music such as boleros, samba-canção and old carnival songs. At midnight a spectacular firework display blasts out the old year and toasts the new one. This is only the beginning, however, as people dance into the night.

There are balls and parties at all the major hotels along the beach, including the Copacabana Palace, Excelsior, Le Méridian and the Sofitel Rio Palace. The hotels stay open all night, serving champagne breakfasts from around 3am on 1 January. One word of advice, though: you should go dressed in white, a religious tradition that is well entrenched. If you don't, you will stand out like a sore thumb.

Around two million people are expected on Copacabana beach and therefore organisation of transport in and out of the area is vital. Roads are blocked to traffic from 6pm on 31 December until 4am on 1 January. There are taxis, tourist buses drop people off and urban buses have free access. To use the metro you must buy a special ticket in advance from certain stations. Check which stations will be open when you buy your ticket.