Features
Rock In Rio Celebrates 40 Years With ‘Unforgettable’ 2024 Edition
More than 700,000 people gathered at the city of rock, Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Park, to see headliners Travis Scott, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Imagine Dragons, Mariah Carey, and Will Smith, and many more artists.
Thus, Rock in Rio concluded another successful edition in an incredible 40-year history. A highlight this year, according to promoters, was Katy Perry’s performance on a stage designed exclusively for Rock in Rio to unvei her new album 143. Hollywood star Will Smith chose the festival’s Sunset Stage to mark his return to music.
Aside from music, festival-goers were treated to a wide array of entertainment, from a video-mapping and fireworks show to the Esquadrilha Céu planes performing aerial choreography to music, with smoke trails in festival colors filling the sky.
Fans of all ages enjoyed a host of activities, including brand activations, free giveaways, and attractions like the Ferris wheel, zipline, and roller coaster.
The festival also featured the musical Dreams, Mud, and Rock n’ Roll, conceptualized by Rock in Rio’s founder, Roberto Medina, which narrated the story of the festival’s inception and its rise to global prominence.
Medina launched Rock in Rio in 1984. Today, it is, by its own admission, “the world’s largest music and entertainment festival.” The first edition was held in Rio de Janeiro, and it helped place Brazil on the map for major international events. Over ten days, 1.38 million people attended the inaugural edition, enjoying performances on what was, at the time, the world’s largest stage.
Since its inception, Rock in Rio has expanded globally, with editions held in Lisbon, Madrid, and Las Vegas, in addition to Rio de Janeiro. The festival has created over 265,000 direct and indirect jobs and generated billions in economic impact for host cities. In 2022, the event contributed over two billion reais ($363 million) to Rio de Janeiro’s economy.
Over 11.6 million people have attended the festival across its history, witnessing a total of 4,666 performances spanning 141 days. In 2022, Rock in Rio reached 64 million people on social media and engaged 12 million fans online, “reaffirming the festival’s reputation as a premier launchpad for artists and brands,” according to its promoters.
Rock in Rio is committed to making a positive impact, investing $20 million-plus in sustainability, education, and environmental projects, including the planting of over four million trees in the Amazon.
It was, by its own admission, the first in the world to achieve ISO 20121 certification for sustainable events, and has been carbon neutral since 2006.
Aside from the 40th edition in Rio de Janeiro from September 13-15 and September 19-22, at the Olympic Park, the festival also celebrated its 10th edition in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 15-16 and June 22-23 at Parque Tejo.