RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — As millions watched the sequin-clad samba dancers at Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Carnival parade Sunday, at least a few eyes turned toward the stars, or at least toward the VIP boxes hosting celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez (pictured) and Fergie.

The Carnival 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, beer company Brahma was promoting Lopez, while hair care company Head and Shoulders hosted Fergie. Neither planned to actually parade in the all-night-long event, but J.Lo waved to the crowd from the posh VIP seats at the Sambadrome 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.

Recent guests at the two-day-long parade have included Madonna, Beyonce, Jude Law, Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson and Kevin Spacey.

Spectators at the Sambadrome were split over the presence of celebrities at Carnival.

“I honestly couldn’t care less if there are famous people or not,” said Monica Linsay, a 23-year-old university student at the Sambadrome for the first time. “I don’t care about marketing ploys. I’m here to watch the parade.”