Brazil gears up for Carnival celebrations in wake of nightclub tragedy

GlobalPost

Brazil's Carnival celebrations are going into full swing this weekend, even as the country reels from a tragic nightclub fire a couple weeks ago that left almost 240 dead.

Civil Defense inspectors have been doing extensive checks in bars and clubs throughout the city, Euronews reported

Carnival is the biggest of Brazil's many festivals, and is expected to draw around 500,000 tourists to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo through Wednesday, the Associated Press reported

Meanwhile, the country's samba dancers — one of the star attractions of Carnival — are working overtime gearing up for the festival, according to the AP

But Carnival isn't all dancing and partying: the local art scene kicks into overdrive as well, showcasing both emerging and established artists at the city's galleries and museums, Artlyst reported

More from GlobalPost: Rio Carnival to have pee patrols

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