A performer from the Beija Flor samba school parades during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Perfect weather greeted Carnival's revelers on Tuesday as Rio de Janeiro's samba schools competed for the title of the year's best in an all night parade at the city's famous Sambadrome.

The over-the-top floats, heart-pounding percussion and nearly nude samba dancers of six elite schools paraded in competition, while six other schools also performed. Results will be announced later in the week, the Associated Press reports.

The Sambadrome parades are the highpoint of Rio's six-day long Carnival, which draws hundreds of thousands of costumed party-goers. Carnival wraps up on Ash Wednesday.