Rio Launches Major Fest Season

It may not have been ideal weather but Europe’s major festival season kicked off May 25 as 60,000 showed for the first day of the Portuguese edition of Rock In Rio.

Photo: Felipe Dana/AP Photo

David Guetta on opening night of the Rock in Rio music festival, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Robbie Williams, Paloma Faith, Boss AC & Aurea, Ivete Sangalo, and a host of local acts and DJs were on the bill, but later – between May 29 and June 1 – the Lisbon park will play host to The Rolling Stones, Arcade Fire, Justin Timberlake, Linkin Park, Queens Of The Stone Age, Lorde, and Jessie J.

Ten years ago when the international brand made its first show in Portugal, the five-day event pulled 386,000 visitors.

Subsequent Portuguese Rock In Rios have attracted 350,000 (2006), 354,000 (2008), 329,000 (2010) and 353,000 in 2012.

The Stones show on May 29 sold out 90,000 tickets a week ago, a feat that Linkin Park achieved in 2008. This time Linkin Park plays May 30.

“The weather was not very warm, but cool like a Spring day,” said Mario Silva from Lift Consulting, which organizes PR for the European Rock In Rios.

He also said that in a way that was preferable as sunny weather in Lisbon often means extremely hot weather.