Rio De Janeiro, Barzil -- It's Carnival time in Rio.
Jennifer Lopez and Fergie are among the celebrities watching the sequin-clad samba dancers at Rio de Janeiro's iconic Carnival parade.
The parade has been attracting top celebrities for much of its 80 years. Many are brought in by attention-hungry Brazilian advertisers hoping to share some of the glow of the world's biggest party.
This year, a beer company was promoting Lopez, while a hair care company hosted Fergie. Neither plans to actually parade in the all-night-long event, but J.Lo waved to the crowd from the posh VIP seats at the Sambadrome on Sunday as 13 samba schools joined in a fierce, sweaty competition before tens of thousands inside and many more watching at home on television.
The numbers of top-tier celebrities in attendance has grown as Brazil's star has risen, particularly since the South American giant was chosen to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 summer Olympics.
AP