Samba artists boarded a tourist train to the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue for a thanksgiving mass high above Rio de Janeiro, as the city marked the National Day of Samba on Tuesday.

The traditional Corcovado Train was transformed into the Samba Train, as guests departed from Cosme Velho Station.

“In samba culture you find values, love, respect. That’s where God is,” said Father Omar, who celebrated the mass.

Samba artists sang during the service and performed afterward, with Father Omar joining representatives of some of Rio’s most traditional samba schools.

This year marks 30 years of the Samba Train, the annual musical ride from Central do Brasil to Oswaldo Cruz, a neighborhood widely regarded as a birthplace of key samba traditions and home to pioneers who helped shape the genre.

The journey turns the rail line into a rolling celebration of samba’s roots and cultural legacy.

AP video by Lucas Dumphreys