Rio De Janeiro Goes Carnival Crazy (PHOTOS)

Rio de Janeiro lit up over the weekend as Brazil was consumed by Carnival fever and the country's numerous samba schools took to the street. The festivities were, as ever, over the top. As were the floats. As was the crowd. As was the music.

Rio is cleaning itself up for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics and the city's infrastructure is being reinvented to deal with massive crowds. Over a million people celebrated the festival in Rio, which attracted many foreign tourists.

According to the Washington Post, locals had been concerned that crime in both Rio and Salvador would curtail the celebrations. Fortunately there were only minor outbreaks of violence and the party rolled into the morning, then the evening, then the morning, then the evening.

Celebrities were also in attendance. Madonna was present and accounted for along with Beyonce, Jude Law, Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson and Kevin Spacey.