The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Série A (now Série Ouro) parades took place between February 5th and 6th, 2016, at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The 2016 Série A schools were, in order of presentation: Acadêmicos da Rocinha, Alegria da Zona Sul, Porto da Pedra, União do Parque Curicica, Unidos do Viradouro, Renascer de Jacarepaguá, Acadêmicos do Cubango, Unidos de Bangu, Império Serrano, Paraíso do Tuiuti, Inocentes de Belford Roxo, Unidos de Padre Miguel, Acadêmicos de Santa Cruz, and Caprichosos de Pilares. The grand champion was Paraíso do Tuiuti, with a theme about the 200th anniversary of the French Artistic Mission in Brazil. The other schools that occupied the top positions (Top 6) were Unidos de Padre Miguel, Unidos do Viradouro, Império Serrano, Acadêmicos do Cubango and Porto da Pedra, and the school relegated to Série B was Caprichosos de Pilares.

The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Special Group parades took place between February 7th and 8th, 2016, at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The schools in the Special Group in 2016 were, in order of presentation: Estácio de Sá, União da Ilha, Beija-Flor, Grande Rio, Mocidade, Unidos da Tijuca, Vila Isabel, Salgueiro, São Clemente, Portela, Imperatriz, and Mangueira. The grand champion was Estação Primeira de Mangueira, with a theme about the singer Maria Bethânia, entitled "Maria Bethânia: The Girl in Oyá's Eyes". The other champion schools were Unidos da Tijuca, Portela, Salgueiro, Beija-Flor, and Imperatriz, and the school relegated to the Série A was Estácio de Sá.

The 2017 Rio de Janeiro Série A (Gold Series) parades took place between February 24th and 25th, 2017, at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The schools in Série A in 2017 were, in order of presentation: Acadêmicos do Sossego, Alegria da Zona Sul, Unidos do Viradouro, Império da Tijuca, União do Parque Curicica, Estácio de Sá, Acadêmicos de Santa Cruz, Acadêmicos da Rocinha, Acadêmicos do Cubango, Inocentes de Belford Roxo, Império Serrano, Unidos de Padre Miguel, Renascer de Jacarepaguá, and Unidos do Porto da Pedra. The grand champion was Império Serrano, with the theme "My backyard is bigger than the world," honoring the poet Manoel de Barros. The other schools that topped the rankings were Unidos de Padre Miguel, Unidos do Viradouro, Estácio de Sá, Unidos do Porto da Pedra, and Acadêmicos do Cubango, while the school relegated to Série B was União do Parque Curicica.

The 2018 Rio de Janeiro Série A (Série Ouro) parades took place between February 9th and 10th, 2018, at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The schools in Série A in 2018 were, in order of presentation: Unidos de Bangu, Império da Tijuca, Acadêmicos do Sossego, Porto da Pedra, Renascer de Jacarepaguá, Estácio de Sá, Alegria da Zona Sul, Acadêmicos de Santa Cruz, Unidos do Viradouro, Acadêmicos da Rocinha, Acadêmicos do Cubango, Inocentes de Belford Roxo, and Unidos de Padre Miguel. The grand champion was Unidos do Viradouro, with the theme "Vira a cabeça, pira o coração – Loucos gênios da criação" (Turn your head, drive your heart crazy – Mad geniuses of creation). The other schools that occupied the top positions were Unidos de Padre Miguel, Porto da Pedra, Acadêmicos do Cubango, Estácio de Sá and Império da Tijuca, and the school relegated to Série B was Alegria da Zona Sul.

The 2018 Rio de Janeiro Special Group parades took place between February 11th and 12th, 2018, at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The Special Group schools in 2018 were, in order of presentation: Império Serrano, São Clemente, Vila Isabel, Paraíso do Tuiuti, Grande Rio, Mangueira, Mocidade, Unidos da Tijuca, Portela, União da Ilha, Salgueiro, Imperatriz, and Beija-Flor. The grand champion was Beija-Flor de Nilópolis, with the theme "Monster is he who does not know how to love. The abandoned children of the motherland that bore them". The other champion schools were Paraíso do Tuiuti, Salgueiro, Portela, Mangueira, and Mocidade, and no school was relegated to the Série A after an administrative decision by LIESA that saved Grande Rio and Império Serrano.

The 2019 Rio de Janeiro Serie A (Gold Series) parades took place between March 1st and 2nd, 2019, at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The schools in Série A in 2019 were, in order of presentation: Unidos da Ponte, Alegria da Zona Sul, Acadêmicos da Rocinha, Acadêmicos de Santa Cruz, Unidos de Padre Miguel, Inocentes de Belford Roxo, Acadêmicos do Sossego, Unidos de Bangu, Renascer de Jacarepaguá, Estácio de Sá, Unidos do Porto da Pedra, Império da Tijuca, and Acadêmicos do Cubango. The grand champion was Estácio de Sá, with the theme "The faith that emerges from the waters," about the Black Christ of Portobelo. The other schools that topped the rankings were Unidos de Padre Miguel, Porto da Pedra, Cubango, and Império da Tijuca, while the school relegated to Série B was Alegria da Zona Sul.

The 2019 Rio de Janeiro Special Group parades took place between March 3rd and 4th, 2019, at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The Special Group schools in 2019 were, in order of presentation: Império Serrano, Viradouro, Grande Rio, Salgueiro, Beija-Flor, Imperatriz, Unidos da Tijuca, São Clemente, Vila Isabel, Portela, União da Ilha, Paraíso do Tuiuti, and Mangueira. The grand champion was Estação Primeira de Mangueira, with the theme "História para ninar gente grande" (A Story to Lull Grown-Ups to Sleep), which celebrated forgotten heroes of Brazilian history. The other champion schools were Viradouro, Vila Isabel, Portela, Salgueiro, and Mocidade, and the school relegated to the Série A (second division) was Imperatriz Leopoldinense (along with Império Serrano).

The 2020 Rio de Janeiro Série A (now Série Ouro) parades took place between February 21st and 22nd, 2020, at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The schools in Série A in 2020 were, in order of presentation: Acadêmicos de Vigário Geral, Acadêmicos da Rocinha, Unidos da Ponte, Unidos do Porto da Pedra, Acadêmicos do Cubango, Renascer de Jacarepaguá, Império Serrano, Acadêmicos do Sossego, Inocentes de Belford Roxo, Unidos de Bangu, Acadêmicos de Santa Cruz, Imperatriz Leopoldinense, Unidos de Padre Miguel, and Império da Tijuca. The grand champion was Imperatriz Leopoldinense, with the theme "Só dá Lari," in homage to the composer Lamartine Babo. The other schools that topped the rankings were Unidos de Padre Miguel, Porto da Pedra, Cubango, and Império da Tijuca. Império Serrano achieved its worst result in history up to that point, finishing in ninth place. Rocinha and Renascer were relegated.

The 2020 Rio de Janeiro Special Group parades took place between February 23rd and 24th, 2020, at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The schools in the Special Group in 2020 were, in order of presentation: Estácio de Sá, Viradouro, Mangueira, Paraíso do Tuiuti, Grande Rio, União da Ilha, Portela, São Clemente, Vila Isabel, Salgueiro, Unidos da Tijuca, Mocidade, and Beija-Flor. The grand champion was Unidos do Viradouro, with the theme "Viradouro de Alma Lavada," which honored the Ganhadeiras de Itaupuã. The other champion schools were Grande Rio, Mocidade, Beija-Flor, Salgueiro, and Mangueira, and the schools relegated to the Série A were União da Ilha and Estácio de Sá.

The 2022 Rio de Janeiro Gold Series (Series A) parades were held between April 20th and 21st, 2022 (postponed due to the pandemic), at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The schools in the 2022 Gold Series were, in order of presentation: Em Cima da Hora, Acadêmicos do Cubango, Unidos da Ponte, Porto da Pedra, União da Ilha, Unidos de Bangu, Acadêmicos do Sossego, Lins Imperial, Inocentes de Belford Roxo, Estácio de Sá, Acadêmicos de Santa Cruz, Unidos de Padre Miguel, Acadêmicos de Vigário Geral and Império Serrano. The grand champion was Império Serrano, with the theme "Mangangá", honoring the capoeira master Besouro Mangangá. The other schools that topped the rankings were Unidos de Padre Miguel, Porto da Pedra, União da Ilha, and Inocentes de Belford Roxo, while the schools relegated to the Silver Series were Acadêmicos do Cubango and Acadêmicos de Santa Cruz.

The 2022 Rio de Janeiro Special Group parades were held between April 22nd and 23rd, 2022 (postponed due to the pandemic), at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The schools in the Special Group in 2022 were, in order of presentation: Imperatriz Leopoldinense, Mangueira, Salgueiro, São Clemente, Viradouro, Beija-Flor, Paraíso do Tuiuti, Portela, Mocidade, Unidos da Tijuca, Grande Rio and Vila Isabel. The grand champion was Acadêmicos do Grande Rio, with a theme about Exu. The other champion schools were Beija-Flor, Viradouro, Vila Isabel, Portela and Salgueiro, and the school relegated to the Gold Series was São Clemente.

The 2023 Rio de Janeiro Special Group parades took place between February 19th and 20th, 2023, at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The schools in the Special Group in 2023 were, in order of presentation: Império Serrano, Acadêmicos do Grande Rio, Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel, Unidos da Tijuca, Acadêmicos do Salgueiro, Estação Primeira de Mangueira, Paraíso do Tuiuti, Portela, Unidos de Vila Isabel, Imperatriz Leopoldinense, Beija-Flor de Nilópolis, and Unidos do Viradouro. The grand champion was Imperatriz Leopoldinense, with a theme about the life and death of the bandit Lampião. The other champion schools were Viradouro, Vila Isabel, Beija-Flor, Mangueira, and Grande Rio, and the school relegated to the Gold Series was Império Serrano.

The 2024 Rio de Janeiro Special Group parades took place between February 11th and 12th, 2024, at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The schools in the Special Group in 2024 were, in order of presentation: Unidos do Porto da Pedra, Beija-Flor de Nilópolis, Acadêmicos do Salgueiro, Acadêmicos do Grande Rio, Unidos da Tijuca, Imperatriz Leopoldinense, Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel, Portela, Unidos de Vila Isabel, Estação Primeira de Mangueira, Paraíso do Tuiuti, and Unidos do Viradouro. The grand champion was Unidos do Viradouro, with a theme about the cult of the serpent and the army of female warriors of the Kingdom of Dahomey. The other champion schools were Imperatriz, Grande Rio, Salgueiro, Portela, and Vila Isabel, and the school relegated to the Gold Series was Unidos do Porto da Pedra.

The 2025 Rio de Janeiro Special Group parades took place between March 2nd and 4th, 2025, at the Marquês de Sapucaí, with exclusive broadcast on TV Globo. The schools in the Special Group in 2025 were, in order of presentation: Unidos de Padre Miguel, Imperatriz Leopoldinense, Unidos do Viradouro, Estação Primeira de Mangueira, Unidos da Tijuca, Beija-Flor de Nilópolis, Acadêmicos do Salgueiro, Unidos de Vila Isabel, Paraíso do Tuiuti, Acadêmicos do Grande Rio, Portela, and Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel. The grand champion was Beija-Flor de Nilópolis, with a theme about the iconic carnival director Laíla. The other schools that returned on Champions' Saturday were Grande Rio, Imperatriz Leopoldinense, Viradouro, Portela, and Mangueira, and the school relegated to the Gold Series was Unidos de Padre Miguel.

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.