The selection process for judges begins with the submission of resumes to Liesa, followed by a careful evaluation based on their expertise. This year, the panel saw a renewal, with half of the judges being new, increasing the total to 54. Judges are trained through symposiums and courses to prepare for their roles.
Judges are transported to the Sambadrome exclusively by Liesa-chartered buses and are distributed across six cabins in four modules along the parade route. They remain in these cabins throughout the performances, with breaks allowed only within the confines of their assigned areas. Communication between judges of the same category is prohibited to maintain impartiality.
In the event a judge falls ill during the parade, their scores are invalidated, and the highest score from other judges in that category is used. Scores are finalized after the last parade each night and kept confidential until the official announcement on Ash Wednesday. Out of 54 judges, only 36 scores are ultimately considered, with a random selection process discarding some scores to ensure fairness.
