The 2026 Rio de Janeiro Special Group parades took place between February 15th and 17th, 2026, at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The schools in the Special Group in 2026 were, in order of presentation: Acadêmicos de Niterói, Imperatriz Leopoldinense, Portela, Estação Primeira de Mangueira, Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel, Beija-Flor de Nilópolis, Unidos do Viradouro, Unidos da Tijuca, Paraíso do Tuiuti, Unidos de Vila Isabel, Acadêmicos do Grande Rio, and Acadêmicos do Salgueiro.
The grand champion was Unidos do Viradouro, with a theme honoring Mestre Ciça. The other schools that returned on Champions' Saturday were Beija-Flor, Vila Isabel, Salgueiro, Imperatriz, and Mangueira, and the school relegated to the Gold Series was Acadêmicos de Niterói.