1985
THE FIRST GREAT
FESTIVAL OF BRAZIL IS BORN
Is there a formula for
creating any music festival? Maybe. But the fact is that Roberto Medina
invented his own, and it has produced great things.
The “Roberto Medina
formula,” so to speak, delivered an event with personality and heart. Directly
connected to the country’s socio-political climate, which at the time was
emerging from nearly 20 years of military dictatorship, the festival supported
a new generation of artists reviving national music. In its pioneering form,
Rock in Rio was designed to create an open space for celebration, commentary,
and questions that reflected the issues of the day.
But the festival existed in
concept only, and needed its own home, a place to give proper form to its
spirit. For this reason Roberto Medina designed and built the City of Rock, an
innovative and gigantic 61-acre complex. This included a unique lighting
system that focused on the audience—a feature celebrating the fans, which has
now become a global trend.
Ladies and
Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.
The engine was ready, but
the personality of the event demanded a different kind of fuel. Enter the true
Hall of Fame Who’s Who: Queen, AC/DC, James Taylor, George Benson, Rod Stewart,
Yes, Ozzy Osbourne, and Iron Maiden, plus some of Brazil’s top national stars,
like Gilberto Gil, Pepeu Gomes, and Barão Vermelho, among others.
With this spectacular
machine, shows went down in history. During one of them, Freddie Mercury was so
impressed with the audience, who’d become a spontaneous choir during “Love Of
My Life,” that he decided to conduct those in attendance as an enormous and
responsive sound mass. No wonder the band itself cites this experience as one
of the most beautiful in its history.
This incident and many more
held inside the first ten days of the City of Rock resulted in an audience of
more than 1.3 million people and increased the Brazilian music industry by 180
percent. From this moment, Brazil entered the arena for great global concerts.
And it was only the beginning….
1991
RECORD-BREAKING
EXCITEMENT
The event that marked the
‘80s in Brazil returned to position Rio de Janeiro as the world capital of
music.
It was January, 1991, and
public excitement for the second festival of Rock in Rio was palpable. And
understandably so, as it had been six years of waiting since the incredible
first festival, which left an entire country eager for more.
The festival took place in
the Maracanã, at the time the largest soccer stadium in the world. A party of
this type needed something enormous, something with fanfare, and Rock in Rio
wouldn’t settle for less. What type of fanfare, exactly? Try 3,000 points of
brilliant illumination, 480 of them airplane headlights positioned
strategically on the roof.
The second Rock in Rio
secured Guns N’ Roses’ first visit to Brazil. The band played two mind-blowing
sets, including the debut of “Civil War” and “Estranged,” songs that were as
yet unreleased. And though the festival’s name might seem to play favor to one
genre, Run DMC performed as well. That one of the biggest bands of the era and
also one of the great icons of the rap scene shared a bill demonstrated that
Rock in Rio was not messing around.
Prince and George Michael,
already extremely well known in the US, won local critical acclaim with
impeccable shows. And so did Faith No More—Mike Patton’s band was at the time a
smaller name in Brazil, and became a frequent presence in the local charts
after their festival appearance.
All in all, this was as
diverse as a festival had ever come, and it was the way it was designed from
the beginning. But Rock in Rio II wouldn’t end without breaking something. That
thing would be in the Guinness Book of World Records: the largest paying
audience ever, as 198,000 fans danced to A Ha’s “Take On Me.” This year it was
decided: the festival was still going strong.
2001
At this point it had become
confirmed fact: having off seasons between festivals left the Brazilian public
crazed for more. After completely filling the gigantic soccer arena (you know
how Brazilians love their soccer), Rock in Rio decided to give it back to the
sports fans and return to the City of Rock. What better reunion with its
original home than 160 acts over the course of one whole week solidly booked
with music?
The main stage again
displayed Rock in Rio’s main feature overall: diversity. REM, Oasis, Sting, and
Neil Young… and also the Symphony Orchestra of Brazil. Queens of the Stone Age
made their Brazilian debut, with bassist Nick Oliveri playing in the same outfit
as the one he came into the world wearing, if you catch the drift. And the Foo
Fighters took a moment mid-set to wish Dave Grohl a happy birthday, as the
entire audience sang to him. Britney Spears, ‘NSync, a whole slew of local
bands… it all kept rolling, seven days straight of thrilling entertainment,
everything performed simultaneously on three different stages.
The last day attracted the
largest audience, as Red Hot Chili Peppers closed the show with another
record-breaking 250,000 people packed in to party with them. With three new
stages, Rock in Rio expanded its path from being the world’s biggest music
festival to the world’s biggest music andentertainment festival.
And this third festival
opened the conversation for important issues beyond music, as it introduced its
charitable outreach called “For a Better World.” Kicking off with an emblematic
three-minute silence throughout the festival and on 3,500 radio and TV stations
throughout the country, the program encouraged people to publicly think about
the changes one could individually put in place to make the planet a better
place socially and environmentally. Today, For a Better World is a pillar of
the festival, as a portion of profits are dedicated to charities and programs
that promote better education, health, and ecology. Together, we truly can make
a difference.
2004
ROCK IN RIO
LISBON
It was time to pack up and
head out in search of new challenges, and to expand our horizons to further the
dream. After traveling to Portugal, Roberto Medina decided it was the perfect
destination for Rock in Rio. With bags packed to the brim with power players,
the festival landed in Lisbon to continue writing music history.
To show Europe that the
Rock in Rio was coming fully loaded, Paul McCartney stepped on stage first,
kicking off opening day. And then one musical superstar after another thrilled
the attendees at Bela Vista Park: Metallica, Peter Gabriel, Alicia Keys, Black
Eyed Peas, Britney Spears, Foo Fighters, and Kings Of Leon, to name a few. More
than 700 journalists from around the world lifted their pens to cover this
festival, drawn to a multi-genre format unlike any other on the planet.
A great achievement of that
year’s festival was the installation of Brazilian talent, with artists ranging
from Gilberto Gil to Sepultura. And of course the festival included Lisbon
locals as well, bringing Xutos and Pontapés, Rui Veloso, João Pedro Pais,
and more. The festival’s true greatness wasn’t in only having conquered a new
market, but also having drawn in thousands of new music fans.
Rock in Rio felt like at
home and, in its first festival outside of Brazil, forged a kinship with the
old continent that continues today.
2006
ROCK IN RIO
LISBON… AGAIN!
It was time to head back to
Lisbon, as the love for this beautiful city was not just a passing affair.
After all, the festival had already established a connection to the capital of
Portugal after the 2004 festival, so it was only proper to continue the courtship.
Here, the party expanded
even further. Along with such top-notch world-renowned artists as Guns N’
Roses, Roger Waters, Santana, Shakira, Sting, Jamiroquai, and tons of musicians
from Portugal and Brazil representing the diversity and richness of their
respective cultures, came a new set of names. David Guetta, Groove Armada, Carl
Cox, and more turned the event into an enormous, sweaty dance floor.
And one festival after
another, Rock in Rio went a step further with its technology, this time investing
in more new lighting. This not only lit up the stages and the faces of everyone
in attendance, but also had another positive effect: suddenly 9,000 new jobs in
total opened up.
Despite the onstage talent,
perhaps one of the biggest hits of the festival was For a Better World, which
went from good intentions to raising more than $700,000 for institutions
addressing environmental concerns. This also marked the beginning of Rock in
Rio’s carbon management strategy around the world. We embraced a commitment
that would plant 118,000 trees from this year until 2016.
2008
DOUBLE DOSE OF
ROCK IN RIO: LISBON AND MADRID
Three time’s the charm for
Rock in Rio Lisbon. Here, it kept growing with new fashion shows by different
brands and creators, but no doubt the greatest achievment that year was the
launch of Sunset Stage. Fully dedicated to spontaneous encounters, jam sessions
and experimentations among artists of different styles and genres. The idea
added another dimension to Rock in Rio’s promotion of diversity, and was such a
hit it was adopted by its future festivals.
For a Better World, by this
time, was an inseparable part of Rock in Rio’s identity. The program donated
more than $700,000 to compensate for carbon emissions, as well as equipped 20
schools with solar panels. In 2009 the initiative received the Energy Globe
Awards in the Youth category, competing with 796 projects from 111 countries.
And of course, Lisbon had
all the biggest and best names: Metallica, Bon Jovi, Linkin Park, Amy
Winehouse, and more. For five electrifying days fans of all ages reinforced the
Rock in Rio love as a festival for everyone.
Another New
Beginning
Lisbon was already our
second home. But wanderlust can never be cured for a global enterprise such as
this. Plus, the festival was growing and a third location was more than
necessary. The choice? Head to the other side of the Iberian Peninsula and
bring Madrid and all of Spain into the vision.
Following in Lisbon’s first
footsteps, Rock in Rio Madrid devoted full attention to music diversity. The
idea of gathering different music genres reached a new level.
Among names like Lenny
Kravitz, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Franz Ferdinand, and Shakira were such local
idols as Manolo García, El Canto Del Loco, and Estopa.
And of course, proposing
new social concepts and discussing environmental issues continued as a central
theme; sustainability initiatives that arose from Madrid’s festivities received
significant investments.
From a vast variety of
music to social responsibility, from care with local culture to a structure of
leisure and entertainment dedicated to all ages and passions, there was no doubt:
Rock in Rio would make its third home in the heart of Spain.
2010
HOMECOMINGS
One thing was certain: Rock
in Rio felt at home wherever it landed, and the fans felt it too.
And who is not comfortable
in the home of the best entertainer? Hence Rock in Rio’s perpetual freedom: In
Lisbon, 2010, stages welcomed acts from Elton John to Rammstein, from Miley
Cyrus to Muse—as well as local names like Xutos e Pontapés, plus dancefloor
kings like Calvin Harris and Deadmau5. And so on and so forth, with 82 acts sharing
3 stages.
The fashion shows worked it
as well; the environmental agendas continued to develop. As a result, Rock in
Rio realized its structure needed something that more permanently marked its
residence. A brand new hotel was built at the City of Rock just for the
luckiest of the attendees, and room service was a full-on frenzy. Airfare? The
flights were on us as well.
A Second Time
for Spain
The first was for history.
But the second was much better.
Madrid became even more
musical during five days in June, with Bon Jovi, Rage Against The Machine,
Motörhead, John Mayer, Cypress Hill, Rihanna, and more… including an electronic
music trifecta: Tiësto, Paul Van Dyk, and David Guetta.
2011
It was time to return to
our origins. The Brazilian public had been waiting a whole decade without
anything nearly the size of Rock in Rio. So Roberto Medina decided to make
everyone happy by announcing its return in a brand-new City of Rock: one unique
space full of updated technology in which to enjoy the festival.
A frenzy was expected, but
when the 700,000 tickets available sold out in 4 days, everyone was sure that
something awesome—something not seen in a long, long time—was about to happen.
As anticipated, the 2011
festival was filled with memorable moments. Stevie Wonder thrilled audiences
when singing with his daughter, Aisha Morris, to the classic Brazilian song
“Garota de Ipanema.” And while that electrified concert-goers, perhaps the most
elated of them all was Stevie Wonder himself, witnessing such receptivity: the
audience sang along with him too, a chorus of 100,000 voices. Later, Chris
Martin from Coldplay declared his love to Rio de Janeiro by marking “I <3
Rio” in spray paint on the stage.
The Sunset Stage, a
prominent space for gatherings and jam sessions among artists, made its arrival
in Brazil. This time, Esperanza Spalding and Milton Nascimento banded together,
a collaborative feat between new international jazz and established Brazilian
music. And this stage gave birth to an even more profound partnership, one that
continues to resound throughout the festival’s history: Sepultura’s weight
lifted by French group Les Tambours du Bronx’s buoyant beats.
A brand-new stage and
surrounding cultural avenue was launched as well, adding to the mix a dedicated
platform for the best of bohemian New Orleans. This included jazz, street
artists, and soul-satisfying food.
For a Better World
continued discussions about sustainability and social projects, encouraging
reflection on how small actions truly can be trained to become easy habit, and
thereby improve the future of our planet. And it was more than talk: 2,200
instruments were donated to 150 independent organizations, along with ten
state-of-the-art music classrooms to develop enhanced culture and skill to
10,000 students in Rio de Janeiro’s public schools.
The festival’s return
heralded an unprecedented infrastructure to Brazil: now four stages, one
amusement park, several stores, and the inauguration of Rock Streeta, a
thematic space for meetings and artistic activities. All wrapped in 7 days with
14 hours of music each.
With tickets sold out for
all nights almost immediately, Rock in Rio 2011 revived the love in public
memory and officially ensured its name would forever be the most awaited
festival of the country.
2012
Europe, once
again, has a Rock in Rio double festival.
Lisbon packed the place for
Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins, Stevie Wonder, Evanescence, Lenny Kravitz,
and Bryan Adams, among many others. Bruce Springsteen brought down the house
with an electrifying three-hour concert. The City of Rock had its mind-blowing
musical gatherings at Sunset Stage, not to mention a separate party space for
electronic music.
This festival debuted two
new features. Rock Street was installed in Portugal for the first time, as it was
such a hit in Brazil the year prior, and became the place where everyone wanted
to hang out between sets. And with the brand-new Street Dance Stage, urban
dancers had their own place to battle and improvise, setting a mood akin to
contemporary NYC.
Spain put up quite the
party as well—the third Rock in Rio Madrid held an unprecedented all-electronic
night on the Main Stage. Deadmau5, Carl Cox, David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia,
and Eric Morillo—it was a high-BPM premiere! Spain, appropriately, pulled out
the dance moves, one of those parties where everyone felt like it would never
end. And then on the Main Stage, of course, live acts like Red Hot Chili
Peppers, Lenny Kravitz, Maná, and Incubus kept the crowds roaring. We couldn’t
keep adding these beautiful pages to our history without such amazing fans.
2013
If in 2011 the tickets were
snatched up too fast, those of 2013 were gone in record time. In just four
hours, the entire festival was sold out online. Perhaps the public was just a
little enthusiastic?
As usual, plenty of unique
experiences marked our most recent festival to date. Bon Jovi made one fan’s
dreams come true when she won a kiss on the mouth with the front man himself,
and in front of 85,000 people, no less. Beyoncé held back tears while singing
“Irreplaceable” as the entire crowd sang along with (and sometimes for) her. A
couple years earlier Ricky Wilson, lead singer of Kaiser Chiefs, had gone for a
trip on the zip line in the middle of their show, and Jared Leto, singer of 30
Seconds to Mars, followed suit in 2013, flying over a sea of euphoric fans.
When Bruce Springsteen and
the E Street Band took the stage and began playing “Sociedade Alternativa” by
Raul Seixas, everyone in the place knew that this would be something to
remember. Hours of great music, choreography, collaboration, onstage antics,
and overall enthusiasm gave way to The Boss holding court with one of the
largest audiences in the festival’s history.
The Sunset Stage delivered
a starry lineup, too. In honor of the very first Rock in Rio, George Benson and
Ivan Lins, jazz musician and revered Brazilian composer, respectively,
collaborated again as they had done before. The infectious passion that touched
the audience, including Roberto Medina, the first time was reignited a second
time around. Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite brought a series of songs that
would become one of the most highly regarded blues albums of the year. And on a
more rocking note, a joint performance by Offspring and Helloween drew a crowd
of so many people that, when viewed from stage, the end of them all was lost in
the horizon..
Rock Street this time was
paved with UK inspiration, and counted among its performances Beatles tributes,
bagpipes, and Irish tap dancing. The Street Dance Stage made its first
appearance to the Brazilian audience, and held contests with awards for dance
crews from Brazil, Portugal, and Spain.
The fans of Rock in Rio
created their own historical moments as well, with one wedding and one marriage
proposal. Totally nuts! The call to wed was made from the zip line while the
wedding itself was held on Rock Street. Interestingly, the bride had actually
caught a bouquet at a wedding that happened during Rock in Rio 2011. That’s
true love forever for the festival, right?
And even among all the fun
and games, Rock in Rio kept its promise to its bigger goals with For a Better
World. This time, an awareness campaign resulted in ridding Rio de Janeiro of
50% of its pollution.
This Rock in Rio ended on
September 24 with a huge show by Iron Maiden. During the closing fireworks
display, eyes overflowed with tears—those of the public, filled with the thrill
of witnessing moments that will stay forever in their hearts, as well as in
those responsible for making the festival happen. This is clearly the pinnacle
of satisfaction in achievement.
And it is with this thought
that Rock in Rio heads to the US to assume ever greater potential in Las Vegas
and whatever is next. The wait is over… Rock in Rio is coming to you!
2014
Rock in Rio Lisbon and Its
10-year History
What’s the best the way to
celebrate an anniversary? Well, of course there are all kinds of ways to party,
and many of them are good. But for us, celebrating 10 years of Rock in Rio in
the city of Lisbon had to be a mega-blowout in order to honor our amazing
decade of festivals. And the way the people greeted us threw open the doors to
the future.
When we host a party,
everyone—all genres of music—has a place guaranteed. Throughout the five days
of the festival, the World Stage welcomed Robbie Williams and a dance party he
led, Lorde’s enormous voice, and Queens of the Stone Age and Linkin Park
rocking out. At our parties, anyone is welcome to shoot across sky on a zip
line… and that’s how Arcade Fire opened their show at the festival. At our
parties, there are even rubber boats surfing the crowd, and you’d better watch
out for cake flying in all directions—two things that happened at Steve Aoki’s
show. And when everyone is really having a great time, the audience becomes a
chorus, as happened during Justin Timberlake’s performance. We also got a real
lesson in the blues from the likes of Gary Clark, Jr., as well as local talent
thrilling the audience. Lots and lots of fantastic things. In fact, it was so
special that Lorde made a point of saying how thrilled she was in having
delivered “possibly the best show of her career.”
Of everything we’d already
planned, everyone knows that parties love surprises. So how about adding the
Rolling Stones to the mix? And if the Stones’ show wasn’t enough, there was a
meeting of musical giants. There on our stage making history, Bruce Springsteen
jammed with the Stones. Imagine yourself as a kid, with your party hat on in
front of your birthday cake together with all your friends and suddenly two of
your favorite super heroes came into your house to watch you blow out the
candles. That’s exactly how we felt.
The stage dedicated to
electronic music saw some surreal moments with a reunion of the classic
Underground Sound of Lisbon. As goes their anthem that drove generations to electronic
music clubs and festivals around the world: “Go out of your mind, go insane.”
And the dance floor did exactly this to the sounds of names like Tiga, John
Digweed, Vibe, Hercules and Love Affair, and Pretty Lights. To top it off, two
longstanding traditions were honored as well: Local talent got their time to
shine as well, and DJs from other Rock in Rio festivals of the past got to
collaborate. Two countries, one giant dance floor 
So that’s how we started
off what will be at least another next ten years of Rock in Rio Lisbon. We’ve
stuffed all these great memories in our luggage, and the next stop? Las
Vegas!
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