| Rock in Rio | |
|---|---|
 Rock in Rio logo before a concert | |
| Genre | Various |
| Location(s) | Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Lisbon, Portugal Madrid, Spain Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Founders | Roberto Medina |
| Website | rockinrio |
Rock in Rio is a biennial Brazilian multi-day music festival held at City of Rock in Rio de Janeiro. It later branched into other locations such as Lisbon, Madrid and Las Vegas.
Ten incarnations of the festival have been held in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, 2001, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2024; nine in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2022; three in Madrid in 2008, 2010 and 2012; and one in Las Vegas, in 2015. Brazilian entrepreneur and advertiser Roberto Medina was responsible for the inception and organization of the festival, as well as moving the 2004 edition to Lisbon, while controversially keeping the brand "Rock in Rio".[1] In 2011, Rock in Rio returned to its original location, Rio de Janeiro, with a new line-up of singers and groups.
Rock in Rio is one of the largest music festivals in the world, with 1.38 million people attending the first event,[2] 700,000 attending the second and fourth, about 1.2 million attending the third, and about 350,000 people attending each of the three Lisbon events.[citation needed]
In May 2018, Live Nation Entertainment acquired a majority stake in the festival (including from previous stakeholder SFX Entertainment), with Medina continuing to manage the festival's operations. Live Nation stated that it intended to "[integrate] their industry expertise" into their overall business.[3][4]
In 2022, Lisbon hosted the 9th edition on several dates in June at Bela Vista Park. Rio de Janeiro hosted its edition on several dates in September.
- ^ "Roberta Medina: The Business of Rock in Rio". The Rio Times. 20 August 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ^ "Rock Madness Sweeps Rio". ABC News. 11 January 2001. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ "Live Nation Acquires Rock in Rio Festival". Billboard. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
- ^ "Live Nation Acquires Rock in Rio Festival". Variety. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2018.