By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Back for its sixth edition in Rio de Janeiro where it began in 1985, the Rock in Rio music festival starts today, Friday, September 18th. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the festival will continue on the 19th, 20th, 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th and will feature more than 150 musical acts performing live on five stages in the Cidade do Rock (City of Rock) located in the Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Barra da Tijuca.
Tonight to open the main stage, the Palco Mundo (World Stage), there will be a special presentation celebrating the 30th anniversary. For the show Dinho Ouro Preto will welcome some of the biggest names in Brazilian music past and present including Paralamas do Sucesso, Erasmo Carlos, Samuel Rosa and Haroldo Ferretti of Skank, Frejat, Jota Quest, Andreas Kisser of Sepultura, Ney Matogrosso, Ivan Lins, Titãs, Blitz, George Israel, and Ivete Sangalo.
Groups The Script and One Republic will perform next, followed by headliners Queen with Adam Lambert.
Playing on the Palco Sunset (Sunset Stage) for the opening day, before the performers take to the World Stage, will be Lenine with Projeto Carbono, IRA! with Rappin Hood and Tony Tornado, and Dônica with Arthur Verocai. Additionally there will be an homage to late Brazilian singer, Cássia Eller.
DJing and performing during the night on the Eletrônica Stage will be Kerri Chandler, vocalist Barbara Tucker, DJ Meme, Mary Olivetti, Kassin, and the Baile do Lincoln. There will also be a tribute to late Brazilian rocker Raul Seixas with his daughter Vivi Seixas spinning a special set.
In addition to the Palco Mundo, Palco Sunset, and Eletrônica Stage there will be a Street Dance section with performers and the Rock Street section this year will feature performances celebrating Brazil and the festival’s 30th anniversary.
The Cidade do Rock will also include shops, bars, restaurants, and new this year, the Capela da Cidade do Rock (City of Rock Chapel) where marriage ceremonies will take place during the festival.
Additionally, rides including the ferris wheel, roller coaster, zip line, and the X-treme ride, will return to the Cidade do Rock this edition. Adding an intelligent scheduling system, developed by the Brazilian startup Bloom, festival organizers promise more fun and less time waiting in lines this year. The digital platform can be accessed through smartphones and should work to digitally schedule rides time and shorten lines. To register on the app, see their Rock in Rio website.
Following the opening day and night, the lineup of performers for this weekend (September 19th and 20th) includes Crookers, Tropkillaz, Korn, Ministry, Angra, Dee Snider, Royal Blood, Mötley Crüe and headliners Metallica on the 19th and Matador, Gui Boratto, Flow & Zeo, John Legend, Baby do Brasil, Alice Caymmi, Paralamas do Sucesso, Seal, Elton John, and headliner Rod Stewart on the 20th.
The lineup for the second weekend (September 24th through 27th) includes Carl Craig, Deftones, Queens of the Stone Age, System of a Down on the 24th; Nightwish, Mastodon, Faith No More, and Slipknot on the 25th; Sérgio Mendes with Carlinhos Brown, Angelique Kidjo, Lulu Santos, Sam Smith, and Rihanna on the 26th; and Al Jarreau, AlunaGeorge, A-Ha and Katy Perry.
The festival will be open from 2PM to 3AM on each of the seven days of events. Organizers estimate that approximately 85,000 will be in attendance per day. Those attending should note that bottles of any kind, size or material are prohibited in the Cidade do Rock, as are firearms, knives, chairs, stools, sharp objects, fireworks, and styrofoam coolers. Professional audio and video recordings are also prohibited.
It is also important to note that public transportation and the Rock in Rio buses are the only way to get to the festival. There will be parking bans beginning at 7AM and continuing until 5AM on each day of the festival. For those who did not purchase a RioCard buss pass, the BRT tickets are R$6.80 – R$7.80 (round trip). Passengers can board those buses at the Alvorada Terminal in Barra da Tijuca.
For more information about traveling to and from the festival, getting around inside Cidade do Rock and the things to see and do there including the complete program of events, see the official Rock in Rio website.