As night falls, Funchal’s seafront fills up with locals and visitors who, from 8 pm onwards, watch the float procession, an ex-libris event of the Carnival festivities.
This year the ‘Magical Nights on the Avenues’ feature more than one and a half thousand extras distributed across 13 troupes and their respective floats.
Starting from Avenida Francisco Sá Carneiro, Rotunda Francisco Sá Carneiro, Avenida do Mar and Comunidades Madeirenses (south lane), to Praça da Autonomia, the float opens, as in previous editions, with the float decorated by João Egídio Rodrigues, this year under the theme ‘The Kiss of the Sun and the Moon’. This is followed by ‘Kings of Carnival’, from the Caneca Furada Samba School, and right behind, ‘Seduction Game’, from the Geringonça Animation Association. Then it will be the turn of ‘Arena’, from Associação Animad, followed by ‘Animação e Folia’, from Associação Musical, Cultural e Recreativa and Coro de Câmara de Lobos (Turma do Funil). The second half of the float presents ‘O Sal da Vida’, from Associação Cultural Império da Ilha, which precedes the troupe ‘Fénix’, from Associação Fitness Team, and ‘Cor Matriz’, from the group Sorrisos de Fantasia. ‘Dream, Magic and the characters of the night’ is the theme of Associação Tramas e Enredos, followed by “Oceanos de Folia’, from Associação de Batucada da Madeira. The final point of the procession is ‘A Magia das Pedras Preciosas’, from the Palco D’Emoções Association – Cultural, Recreational, Sports and Samba School Association, ‘Bohemia’ from the Cultural and Recreational Association, Os Cariocas Samba School, and to close the parade, ‘Madeira, an Avenue of Light and Color’, by the Nuvem d’Afectos Animation Association.