A new City of Rock is about to be born

10.13.2023

On 15, 16, 22 and 23 June 2024, a new City of Rock will open its doors in Parque Tejo Lisboa, in an ode to the city that hosted the festival in 2004, with the Tejo and the Vasco da Gama Bridge in the background. An invitation initially launched by the Lisbon City Council to mark a special date, making Rock in Rio Lisboa the first major event to occupy the recently opened Parque Tejo Lisboa, just as it did 20 years ago when the festival was established in Parque da Bela Vista.

This new location will maintain the capacity of the previous venue, Parque da Bela Vista, for 80,000 people. The area of the clearing of the World Stage will have approximately the same dimensions as the clearing of the World Stage in Parque da Bela Vista, but an extra 30,000 m2 will be used to provide comfort for the public to walk between attractions and to bring in new attractions. This new location will offer the public an improved experience as the space is wider, allowing for more rest and leisure areas and a more fluid circulation in the venue, as well as better accessibility due to the flatter terrain.

But the novelties continue: the iconic World Stage, which this year will benefit from a stunning backdrop between the River Tejo and the Vasco da Gama Bridge, will continue to host the biggest national and international artists and will feature an audiovisual show commemorating its 20th anniversary, which will take place daily on the edge of the stage.

Also returning to the City of Rock is the Galp Stage, thus confirming Galp as the Main Sponsor of yet another edition of Rock in Rio Lisboa. The stage will continue to bring even more relevant national and international music for all ages and musical styles.

Rock Street is also back, with the same provocative tone, to talk about the encounter between people and technology and how we value the human and use technology in a constructive and healthy way. Other spaces that proved to be a success in their debut in 2022 are also moving to the new venue, namely the Continente Chef's Garden, which will bring the best of Portuguese gastronomy to Cidade do Rock; and the ESC Online Sports Bar, which is taking on greater prominence this year as it coincides with the European football championship.

But there's more: a first in this new City of Rock is Route 85. While Rock in Rio in Portugal is celebrating its 20th anniversary, we mustn't forget that its history actually began two decades earlier, more specifically in 1985, when Roberto Medina founded the festival in Rio de Janeiro, giving a voice to an oppressed generation that had just emerged from the military dictatorship. 40 years later, the festival has travelled the world, maintains a base in Brazil and another in Portugal and has left a legacy in every country it has visited. On Route 85, the public will be able to learn more about the history of what is now one of the biggest music events in the world, photograph various giant scenographic elements that are sure to fill Instagram pages (such as the famous muddy trainers, one of the trademark images of the first edition in the festival's history), watch a short documentary film about the festival in the Rota cinema, celebrate their union with Elvis in a Las Vegas-style chapel, among other activities.

In addition to all these spaces, Cidade do Rock's offer is only completed with the presence of the famous Pisca Pisca Ferris wheel and the Pepsi slide, which will once again provide the most incredible flight in the whole of Cidade do Rock and the whole of Lisbon. There will also be space in the venue for the traditional and sophisticated Gato Preto VIP Area, the rooftops, the iconic fountain, one of the most photographed places in the venue, and a Premium Club (boxes with a privileged view of the World Stage).

But Rock in Rio is not just about music and entertainment. The festival is also known for its commitment to the future and in 2001 it launched the social project "For a Better World" as a way of formalising what had already been in its DNA since 1985. Since then, the festival has expanded its activities, adopting and encouraging practices that support the collective and contribute to building a better world, joining forces with companies, associations and partners who have the same vision. In this edition, the Better World will also be celebrated and with its own space - the All space: in the already iconic Pala at Parque Tejo Lisboa, the festival will create an area that explores these 20 years from a socio-environmental perspective, recalling the projects that are part of the festival's legacy.