Charli XCX has announced she will reunite with Troye Sivan for her Primavera Sound Barcelona headline slot next year.

The 5 June performance will be the only European stop on their Charli XCX & Troye Sivan Present: SWEAT tour and follows their sold-out 22-date tour of North America last autumn, which saw the British and Australian artists play to almost 300,000 fans. Both acts performed separately at Primavera this year.

Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter will also headline the 5-7 June 2025 festival at Parc Del Fòrum.

Elsewhere in Spain, Madrid’s Mad Cool has released the first wave of acts for the 2025 edition, led by Olivia Rodrigo, Kings of Leon, Noah Kahan and Gracie Abrams.

Alanis Morissette, Weezer, Benson Boone, Justice, Iggy Pop, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Arde Bogotá, Residente, Glass Animals and St. Vincent are also on the bill. The festival will return to Iberdrola Music between 10–12 July.

Brazil’s The Town has lined up Green Day, Sex Pistols, Bruce Dickinson, Iggy Pop, Initial Capital, Pitty, CPM 22 and Supla & Innocents for 2025.

Organised by Rock in Rio founder Roberto Medina, the 100,000-cap festival will return to São Paulo between 6–7 and 12–14 September.

Portugal’s Nos Alive has announced an additional six acts: Barry Can’t Swim, Dead Poet Society, Finneas, Foster The People, Parov Stelar, Mother Mother and Sammy Virji.

They will perform at the Lisbon festival between 10–12 July and alongside previously announced acts such as Olivia Rodrigo, Kings of Leon, Amyl and The Sniffers, Artemas, Benson Boone, CMAT, girl in red and Glass Animals.

Poland’s Orange Warsaw has announced its first headliner, Charli XCX, who will deliver the final set of the festival.

The Alter Art-promoted event will return to Służewiec Horse Racing Track in Warsaw between 30–31 May.

The US is set to gain another new music festival called Starbase

France’s We Love Green has also secured Charli XCX for a headlining set alongside other acts including Air, Laylow, Gesaffelstein, Amelie Lens, Parcels, FKA Twigs and Bicep.

The festival will once again take place at Bois de Vincennes Park in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, between 6–8 June.

Across Europe, Austria’s Lido Sounds has confirmed Justice, Parcels and PaulWetz for the 2025 instalment, set to take place between 27–29 June on the banks of the Danube in Linz, Vienna.

City Splash – billed as the world’s biggest independent one-day celebration of Caribbean and African culture – will take over London’s Brockwell Park on the 26 May bank holiday.

Set to perform at the event is Jamaican roots reggae singer Tarrus Riley, queen of dancehall Spice, one of Jamaica’s brightest stars Valiant, the voice behind one of Dancehall’s biggest anthems ‘Drift’; Teejay and Afrobeats music collective The Compozers.

Live Nation-owned C3 Presents plans to launch a new rock festival in the US called Boardwalk Rock Festival.

The two-day event will take place between 17–18 May 2025 in Ocean City, Maryland, with some of the biggest names in rock history alongside contemporary favourites.

Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Nickelback, and Shinedown will headline the inaugural edition, with Bush, Chevelle, Three Days Grace and Flyleaf appearing further down the bill.

The US is also set to gain another new music festival called Starbase, launched by GRAMMY-nominated electronic music duo SLANDER in partnership with Insomniac.

The two-day event will take place between 25–26 April at Lake Perris in Southern California with more than 35 events.

A Hundred Drums, AU5, Before Dawn, Body Ocean, Bommer, Charles D, Codd Dubz, Control Freak, Copycatt, Dimension, Fairlane, FrostTop, Ivory, Kill the Noise, Lunice, Mha Iri, Moody Good B2B Chee, Nikademis and Pauline Herr are set to perform at the inaugural edition.

Meanwhile, St. Louis natives Nelly & Metro Boomin will launch a festival in their hometown next year featuring a mix of country and hip-hop music.

The festival announcement comes after St. Louis was notably snubbed from Nelly’s upcoming Where the Party At World Tour.

Details of the inaugural Smokin’ Hayride Festival are yet to be announced.

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Rock in Rio bosses have given an update on the brand’s expansion plans after its 40th anniversary edition in Brazil pulled in 730,000 fans across two weekends.

Held at the Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, from 13-15 & 19-22 September, the festival’s headliners included Travis Scott, Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Avenged Sevenfold and Mariah Carey, as well as the likes of Evanescence, Ne-Yo, Deep Purple, Charlie Puth and Hollywood star Will Smith.

Roberta Medina, EVP of Rock World, the company behind the biennial event, trumpets the 2024 flagship as a “tribute to the ability that music and culture have to unite people in peace and harmony and to show new possibilities”.

“It was a peaceful event, where thousands of people came together, vibrating with happiness and sharing unforgettable moments,” she says.

The Brazilian festival, which will return in 2026, also upped its sustainability push – initiating a reusable cup drive for the first time in partnership with Heineken, Red Bull, Coca-Cola, Schweppes and Braskem, which encouraged conscious consumption and correct disposal.

More than 150,000 cups were collected, washed and returned for use, while 1.5 tons of cups were collected for reuse in the VIP area. Consequently, the festival avoided generating more than 14 tons of waste.

At last count, Rio-based company Comlurb had collected 288.5 tons of waste from inside Rock in Rio, of which 129.8 tons were potentially recyclable materials.

“We’re not planning international expansion at this point, but we decided to expand to the closest market to Rio – that is São Paulo”

Earlier this month, Rock in Rio founder Roberto Medina unveiled a “visionary project” to turn the area around the Rock in Rio site into the largest entertainment complex in Latin America. In partnership with financial group Genial Investimentos, the Imagine scheme will transform the Olympic Park, home to Rock in Rio Brazil since 2017, into a leisure, sports and entertainment centre.

The Rock World portfolio also includes Portugal’s Rock in Rio Lisboa, which takes place in the even years, and The Town in São Paolo, held in the odd years. It also took over the running of Lollapalooza Brazil in 2023. Rock in Rio Lisboa staged its 20th anniversary edition in June at the 80,000-cap Parque Tejo, attracting 300,000 attendees and selling out three of the four dates. Acts included Scorpions, Jonas Brothers, Doja Cat, Macklemore and Ed Sheeran.

Meanwhile, The Town (cap. 105,000-cap) launched at the Interlagos race track in September last year, headlined by Post Malone, Foo Fighters, Maroon 5 and two nights with Bruno Mars. It welcomed more than 500,000 fans over five days.

Roberto Medina discusses potential future expansion of Rock in Rio as part of a feature celebrating 40 years of the festival in the new issue of IQ.

“I think expansion in Latin America is possible, but it is not in my plans because I am now focused on Lollapalooza and The Town in São Paolo, and Rock in Rio, which makes us one of the biggest festival companies in Latin America,” he says. “This year, with the three events all put together, we made R$1.1bn, while we sold 2m tickets over the past two years. So I want to focus more on these [existing] markets where there is lots of opportunity to grow.”

Roberta Medina adds: “We’re not planning international expansion at this point, but we decided to expand to the closest market to Rio – that is São Paulo. They are both big cities, but São Paulo is very different to Rio. It’s been a conversation for a number of years to take Rock in Rio to São Paulo, but what we realised is that Rock in Rio sees 50% of our revenues coming from sponsorship and 50% from ticket sales – it’s a very different model, and we understand it’s not similar in other territories. But we can definitely grow in our own markets and become bigger in Brazil, while the new site in Lisbon allows us to concentrate on making that bigger, too.”

The full feature on 40 years of Rock in Rio appears in the issue 130 of IQ, out now.

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The debut edition of Brazil’s The Town festival generated R$1.9 billion (€356.9 million) in economic impact for the host city of São Paulo, exceeding expectations, organisers have reported.

The brainchild of Rock in Rio founder Roberto Medina, the 105,000-cap festival launched at the Interlagos race track over five days from 2-10 September, headlined by Post Malone, Foo Fighters, Maroon 5 and two nights with Bruno Mars

The event broke records by selling 350,000 tickets in less than three hours and went on to welcome more than 500,000 fans in all.

According to calculations carried out by Brazilian higher education institution and think tank Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV), which looked at the direct and indirect effects of the festival, the economic impact bettered the previously released estimate of R$1.7bn.

“The estimated numbers for The Town were already huge and now, with confirmation from FGV, we see that we have delivered even more,” says Roberto Medina, president of Rock World, the company responsible for The Town and Rock in Rio. “Moving the city’s economy in this way is fundamental. More money coming in also means more investment in each sector. This contributes to the transformation of realities. With each edition we see an increase in these numbers and if it was like this in the first edition, imagine the next ones.”

“A large number of people from outside the city of São Paulo came to watch the shows”

To calculate The Town’s economic impact, FGV worked with a methodology that includes an analysis of the direct expenses of the event’s organisation and the festival’s audience, in addition to the brands. The expenses came to around R$213m, while 23,400 jobs were created by the event.

FGV Projetos executive manager Luiz Gustavo Medeiros Barbosa says The Town has proven itself to be a “mega event”.

“It has an economic impact of around 1.9 billion reals,” he says. “This value is very considerable and the factors that lead to ensuring an impact of this magnitude are: the large expenses related to holding the event. In other words, it is an event that, due to its characteristics, its structure and its form of organisation, has a high amount of expenses for its organisation and operation.”

The festival partnered with transportation company the CCR Group, which guaranteed that the trains that provide access to the Interlagos Circuit would run 24 hours a day on festival days.

“A large number of people from outside the city of São Paulo came to watch the shows,” adds Barbosa. “With this, the economy circulates, new money enters the city, coming from other states, from other cities, which means we have a large volume. Unlike people who already live in São Paulo, these mega-events bring fans who stay in hotels, rented houses, need to go to restaurants, getting around by taxi, Uber, or public transport, increasing the economic impact.

“Finally, the city of São Paulo is able to absorb a large part of the expenses for holding the event, that is, making the economic multiplier even greater. These are the fundamental points and why these major events bring such a significant economic movement and impact on the cities’ economy.”

Last year’s 100,000-cap Rock in Rio generated 2 billion reals in economic impact for its host city after welcoming 700,000 fans across seven days.

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The last remaining tickets have been snapped up for the inaugural edition of Brazil’s The Town festival in São Paulo, which will welcome more than 500,000 fans over five days.

The brainchild of Rock in Rio founder Roberto Medina, the 105,000-cap festival launched last weekend at the Interlagos race track, headlined by Post Malone and Bruno Mars from 2-3 September. Other performers included Demi Lovato, Iggy Azalea and Bebe Rexha.

The event broke records by selling 350,000 tickets in less than three hours, selling out three days of the festival. And organisers have now revealed that the last date with tickets still available – tomorrow’s (7 September) show topped by Maroon 5, has now sold out, making the event’s debut a complete sellout.

“We are living history before our eyes,” says Medina, president and creator of Rock World, the company behind The Town and Rock in Rio. “Almost 40 years after the debut of Rock in Rio, in 1985, I feel again the emotion of witnessing the birth of a new festival, with all the quality, structure and scope that São Paulo deserves.

“Now, the party is complete with 500,000 people confirmed for this first edition of The Town”

“What we saw on the first weekend in Cidade da Música will be forever etched in our memory, it was a very special moment. Now, the party is complete with 500,000 people confirmed for this first edition of The Town, experiencing unforgettable days in this magical place.”

The Town wraps up this weekend with bills starring Maroon 5, The Chainsmokers, Joss Stone and Ludmilla (7 September); Foo Fighters, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Garbage and Pitty (9 September) and a second headlined by Mars, also featuring H.E.R., Kim Petras and Iza (10 September). Full-price day tickets cost 815 reals (€152).

The festival has partnered with transportation company the CCR Group, which guarantees that the trains that provide access to the Interlagos Circuit will run 24 hours a day on festival days.

From 2024, Rock World will also take over the running of Lollapalooza Brazil in partnership with C3 Presents. Both are majority owned by Live Nation.

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Fresh from 2022’s massive bounceback for the live business, it’s no surprise that this year is seeing a wealth of new arrivals on the international festival scene. Here, IQ previews ten of those inaugural events to learn what unique traits each has to lure consumers to buy tickets, and why their creators have decided that now is the right time to open the gates in what many consider to be an already over-saturated marketplace.

PROJECT 6
Where: Brockwell Park, London, UK
When: 26 May 2023
Headliners: Ghetts, Shy Fx: Specials, and Fabio & Grooverider and The Outlook Orchestra

“Project 6 Festival combines everything we love, from our experience of running festivals to our love of London’s incredible clubbing scene, offering something outside the box from the traditional daytime festival model, with the addition of ten night-time sessions across some of the city’s best-loved dancefloors,” explains James Rice, one of the principals at event promoters Outlook.

“At the tail end of 2022, we were invited to become part of south London’s Brockwell Live series and jumped at the chance to bring what we do across Outlook, Undivide, Free From Sleep, and our other events and projects to our hometown and the city and scenes that we cherish.”

In addition to the headliners, attendees can expect live performances from the likes of Mala and Joe Armon-Jones and their new full live band, as well as Ojerime, FLOHIO, Lex Amor, Dréya Mac, and many more, alongside some of the scene’s biggest and brightest DJs and MCs.

PRIMAVERA SOUND MADRID
Where: Ciudad de Rock, Arganda del Rey, Madrid, Spain
When: 5-11 June 2023
Headliners: Pet Shop Boys, Blur, Halsey, New Order, Kendrick Lamar, Depeche Mode, Rosalía, and Calvin Harris
Organised as a mirror event to Primavera Sound in Barcelona, which takes place the previous week, the inaugural Madrid edition will take place just outside the Spanish capital on a site that was purpose-built to host Rock in Rio Madrid back in 2008. The complex can cater for up to 96,000 visitors.

In parallel with its sister events in Barcelona (29 May-4 June) and Por- to (7-10 June), the new festival allows organisers to offer artists and their agents multiple dates, rather than just one, helping bookers attract world-class acts. And as with those festivals, Primavera Sound Madrid will operate a gender-balanced policy for its line-up.

“It’s different from Barcelona because we have lots of local people living not only in Madrid but also from southern and eastern Spain that are coming, as well as lots of international people,” says festival director Almudena Heredero. “We are working together with a number of institutions and authorities in Madrid to make this a success, as everyone is determined that the city should have a festival like Primavera Sound here for the long term. Through Madrid’s venue association, we have organised concerts in the lead-up to the festival, as we do in Barcelona, and we have a year-round programme to imprint the Primavera brand on the cultural life of Madrid and not just for the days of the festival,” she adds.

SPEX
Where: Bernexpo, Bern, Switzerland
When: 21-22 July 2023
Headliners: RIN and Alligatoah

German and Swiss rap music will have a brand-new platform this summer at the inaugural Spex Festival taking place in the Swiss capital. Joining the headliners are Ufo361, Yung Hurn, Kool Savas, SSIO, Stereo Luchs, Nura, and many more hip-hop acts with organisers Gadget abc Entertainment pricing tickets low to attract a younger audience and maybe even first-time festivalgoers.

In addition to 26 acts across two stages, Gadget is programming various activities in the areas of sports, lifestyle, and fashion, with the hope that around 10,000 people per day will attend, although the flexibility of the Bernexpo site could allow that number to increase.

“We have been planning Spex for about 18 months, as hip-hop is a growing market in Switzerland,” says promoter Christof Huber. “Other festivals target international acts, but German language acts are becoming more popular here, so we wanted to support them while delivering something that younger fans can relate to and enjoy.”

AFRO NATION
Where: Bedrock Douglass, Detroit, USA
When: 19–20 August 2023
Headliners: TBC

The successful Afro Nation brand has already made headlines in Ghana, Portugal, and Puerto Rico, and makes its US debut in Florida in late May, but the expansion into Detroit will truly be a historic move. “When considering which US cities would be right for our Afro Nation festival, Detroit was a clear choice,” says Natasha Manley, CEO of promoters Event Horizon.

“The musical legacy, culture, people and community of Detroit connects to why we started Afro Nation: to celebrate Black music and culture. Our diverse global audience will undoubtedly enjoy the unique Detroit show and appreciate the immense influence of Detroit on the evolution of music.”

The brand is bringing the likes of Burna Boy and Wizkid to Miami’s LoanDepot, while the line-up for Detroit – on the site of the city’s Bedrock Douglass Projects which Motown legends like Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson once called home – is still to be announced.

WOODSTOCK MUSIC AND ART FAIR
Where: Hantangang River Geopark, Pocheon, South Korea
When: 28-30 July 2023
Headliners: Loudness, Dynamic Duo, Boohwal, No Brain, 6band, Kim Do-kyun, Insooni, Kim Kyung-ho, and Kim Wan-sun

Having received permission to organise the first-ever incarnation of Woodstock to be held outside of the United States, Korean music business giant SGC Entertainment has, so far, announced an eclectic mix of hip-hop, rock, and pop stars for this new summer gathering.

The event’s main headliner, Japanese metal outfit Loudness, were the first Asian heavy rock band to enter the Billboard 200 charts, and enjoy a very strong following in Korea. With the themes of “freedom, peace, and love,” the festival has been created to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement, which was signed on 27 July 1953, bringing about an end to the Korean War. Organisers says more acts will be announced closer to the festival date.

RUBIX FESTIVAL
Where: Porto Montenegro, Tivat, Montenegro
When: 28-30 July 2023
Headliners: DJ Damian Lazarus, Morcheeba, John Malkovich, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Taking place in the Bay of Kotor in the Adriatic Riviera, Rubix Festival aims to immerse around 8,000 festivalgoers in a creative world of fulfilment and self-expression, with music, art, cinema, and technology all forming part of the performances, masterclasses, workshops, and exhibitions on offer.

Set against the stunning waterfront backdrop of the vibrant nautical village and state-of-the-art superyacht marina, Porto Montenegro, the event will see attendees participate in everything from wine tasting to chefs’ tables, 3D printing masterclasses to body painting, and street art exhibitions to sculpture.

“Rubix is the ultimate fusion of entertainment, immersing festival goers in a unique creative world, and we’re thrilled to bring an event of this scope to the region for the first time,” says Danilo Kalezic, senior manager at Porto Montenegro. “Immerse yourself in electric drama, captivating art exhibitions, engaging workshops, and a cinema corner that will transport you to another world. Get ready to discover your true self, express your creativity, and indulge in unforgettable feasts and magical moments.”

ROCK N ROLL CIRCUS
Where: Don Valley Bowl, Sheffield, UK
When: 1-3 September 2023
Headliners: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Happy Mondays, Self Esteem, and Confidence Man

Utilising local star Rebecca Lucy Taylor, aka Self Esteem, to curate this new festival in her native Yorkshire, AGN Events is looking forward to welcoming around 7,500 fans per day to this three-day event.

“Sheffield has such a strong tradition for live music, so we are really excited to be hosting our touring concept there,” says AGN Events director Ali O’Reilly. “There is nothing like it in the market – watching your favourite artists alongside incredible fire performers, aerialists, contortionists, and much more – the show is bringing a new dimension to the concert experience.”

Self Esteem’s appearance at the festival will reportedly mark the end of her I Tour This All The Time run of dates, which began in February this year to celebrate her smash-hit second album, Prioritise Pleasure. “Sheffield. I just had to come back one more time before I fully commit to writing again,” Taylor said of the new festival. “I’ve also curated my actual dream line-up to join me. I am genuinely deeply excited.”

POWER TRIP
Where: Empire Polo Club, Indio, California, USA
When: 6-8 October 2023
Headliners: Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, and Tool

Seen as something of a follow-up to 2018’s record-breaking Desert Trip, Power Trip gathers some of hard rock’s most legendary acts for a weekend of headbanging on the same site as festival darling Coachella and country music stalwart Stagecoach.

The new festival comes two years after promoter Goldenvoice signed a long-term agreement with the Empire Polo Club to use the location for additional festivals. While Power Trip has yet to provoke the same scramble for tickets that saw Desert Trip’s line-up of Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Who, and Roger Waters programming a repeat weekend, hotel packages and VIP passes are reportedly selling well, despite general admission passes being set at $599 + fees. Pit VIP packages, meanwhile, are priced at $3,448 including fees.
When it took place in 2016, each Desert Trip weekend accommodated over 70,000 fans.

THE TOWN
Where: Interlagos Racetrack, São Paulo, Brazil
When: 2, 3, 7, 9, 10 September 2023
Headliners: Post Malone, Maroon 5, Foo Fighters, and Bruno Mars (for two dates)

From the creators of Rock in Rio, The Town will debut in Brazil’s biggest city, where an estimated audience of 500,000 will attend five days of shows in an area of the city’s Interlagos Racetrack that is being completely renovated for the occasion. Construction teams are creating a sewage system to negate the need for chemical toilets, while synthetic grass is being installed to prevent mud in the case of rain. The reforms will also integrate under- ground pipes so the festival can run electricity cables.

The new festival is being touted as São Paulo’s answer to Rock in Rio, with organisers programming more than 235 hours of performances in the City of Music, which will host six stages. According to a survey by the Getulio Vargas Foundation, an economic impact of more than $260m is expected, in addition to generating more than 19,000 direct jobs.

“I love Brazil intensely,” says promoter Roberto Medina. “And, just like Rock in Rio, The Town was born from this passion for our land, from the amplification of looking at new opportunities, and from the desire that the pandemic brought me in these months of confinement to bring something new. It will be surprising. The entire concept was conceived based on an inspiring and cosmopolitan São Paulo, in addition to being ready to host an event of this magnitude.”

COUNTRY BAY MUSIC FESTIVAL
Where: Miami Marine Stadium, Florida, USA
When: 11-12 November 2023
Headliners: Thomas Rhett, Sam Hunt, Chris Young, Lee Brice, and Lainey Wilson

“South Florida is a [high in demand] entertainment destination, which currently doesn’t have any country music festivals,” states promoter Nelson Albareda, CEO of Loud And Live. “If you couple that with the fact that country music has a big and loyal following amongst Hispanics, we saw it as a big opportunity in the market, both within the music genre and geographically, to produce Miami’s first two-day country music festival.”

Noting that Miami has become a global entertainment destination hosting major music events like Rolling Loud and Ultra Music Festival to global sporting events like Formula 1 and the next football World Cup, Albareda adds, “Our goal is to create a memorable experience for music fans and our partner sponsors alike and ultimately establish Miami as a destination for country music enthusiasts from around the world.”

Miami Marine Stadium has a rich country music history, including iconic shows by the likes of Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Rogers, giving Loud And Live the confidence to set a daily capacity of 25,000 for its inaugural Country Bay Music Festival. “With the incredible line-up of top country music artists and a picturesque waterfront venue, this music festival will be like no other,” Albareda enthuses.

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Live Nation and Rock World have sold 420,000 tickets for the inaugural edition of Brazil’s The Town Music and Art Festival.

Organised by Rock in Rio founder Roberto Medina, the 100,000-cap festival takes place on September 2,3,7, 9, and 10  at the Interlagos race track in São Paulo, headlined by Bruno Mars (two nights), Foo Fighters, Post Malone and Maroon 5.

The event broke records by selling 350,000 tickets in less than three hours, selling out three days of the festival.

“The overwhelming success of The Town’s ticket sales is a testament to the growing demand for unique live experiences in Brazil and Latin America and proves that Sao Paulo is indeed one of the top global music destinations, and Paulistas are some of the most passionate fans,” says Rafael Lazarini, Live Nation’s SVP and head of business development.

Other acts set to perform at the festival, which will feature six stages at Cidade da Música, include Queens of the Stone Age, Garbage, Demi Lovato, Wet Leg, The Chainsmokers, Liam Payne, Iggy Azalea, Bebe Rexha, HER and Kim Petras.

“We are thrilled by the record-breaking excitement, as it highlights the city’s vibrant culture, diverse music scene”

“The festival promises to be a memorable experience for fans, and we are thrilled by the record-breaking excitement, as it highlights the city’s vibrant culture, diverse music scene, and Live Nation’s commitment to bringing unique and unforgettable live experiences to fans across the region,” adds Lazarini.

The festival’s official ticketing partner Ticketmaster launched in Brazil just under six months ago. Its operations began at the end of 2022 supporting smaller niche events, to better understand and customise the platform for the Brazilian market.

Live Nation’s expansion strategy in the market also includes the development of a 20,000 seat arena at São Paulo’s Anhembi District, in partnership with OVG and GL Events.

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Brazil’s new 105,000-cap festival The Town has sold out three days of its inaugural edition, with more than four months still to go until it debuts in São Paulo.

Organised by Rock in Rio founder Roberto Medina, the event will launch at the Interlagos race track later this year and is expected to attract around half a million people across five days.

Dates headlined by Bruno Mars (3&10 September) and Foo Fighters (9 September) have already sold out in this week’s general sale, with tickets still available for nights topped by Post Malone (2 September) and Maroon 5 (7 September). Full-price day tickets cost 815 reals (€147) and were snapped up in 72 minutes for Mars’ two shows .

“The success of the pre-sale reflects the public’s desire to live life live, for São Paulo to host an event of this magnitude and as people from São Paulo have said ‘a Rock in Rio to call your own,'” says Luis Justo, CEO of Rock World, the company behind The Town.

Other artists set to perform at the festival, which will feature six stages at the Cidade da Música venue, include Queens of the Stone Age, Garbage, Demi Lovato, Wet Leg, The Chainsmokers, Liam Payne, Iggy Azalea, Bebe Rexha, HER and Kim Petras.

The festival has also confirmed a partnership with transportation company the CCR Group, which guarantees that the trains that provide access to the Interlagos Circuit will run 24 hours a day on festival days.

“We announce this unprecedented partnership that will allow fans to arrive and leave the festival with greater peace of mind”

“The public’s experience goes far beyond what they experience in [Rock in Rio site] Cidade do Rock and, now, in Cidade da Música,” says Roberta Medina, EVP of The Town and Rock in Rio. “We care about this experience all the time and this includes, among many other details to be taken care of, when, on the day of the festival, the fan leaves the house towards the venue.

“We already addressed this concern from the beginning, when we scheduled The Town to take place on the weekend or holiday, in order to less impact the city’s traffic.

“We announce this unprecedented partnership that will allow fans to arrive and leave the festival with greater peace of mind, knowing that they will be able to rely on public transport by train for 24 hours.”

The flagship 100,000-cap Rock in Rio Brazil, meanwhile, was most recently held at the Cidade do Rock (City of Rock) from 2-4 and 8-11 September 2022, headlined by Iron Maiden, Post Malone, Justin Bieber, Guns N’ Roses, Green Day, Coldplay and Dua Lipa.

From 2024, Rock World will also take over the running of Lollapalooza Brazil in partnership with C3 Presents. Both are majority owned by Live Nation.

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Lollapalooza Brazil will no longer be produced and promoted by South America’s leading live entertainment company T4F (Time For Fun).

T4F’s ten-year partnership with Lollapalooza Brazil came to an end after last weekend’s 2023 instalment in São Paulo, headlined by Billie Eilish, Blink 182, Tame Impala, Rosalía and Lil Nas X.

From 2024, the festival will be managed by C3 Presents (promoter of the Lollapalooza franchise) and Rock City (the company behind Rock in Rio) – both of which are majority owned by Live Nation.

According to a statement from T4F, Live Nation enlisted Rock City in a bid to centralise the operation of all its festivals in Brazil.

In addition to Rock in Rio, Rock City is also organising a new 105,000-capacity festival called The Town, set to take place in the same location as Lollapalooza Brazil this September.

“Our partnership with Lollapalooza Brazil has revolutionised the festival market in our country”

Commenting on the end of the partnership, T4F founder and CEO Fernando Alterio, says: “Our partnership with Lollapalooza Brazil has revolutionised the festival market in our country. We are very proud of the path we have travelled together and for having transformed LollaBR into a brand loved by Brazilians.

“It was a pleasure to lead this brand and contribute to its success and growth. I thank Perry Farrell, creator of the festival, Charlie Walker and Charles Attal, managers of C3 Presents, with whom we have always had a professional relationship, but also one of friendship and respect. I wish them and Lollapalooza Brazil success in this new model.

“Time For Fun will continue with an intense performance in the festival sector. In addition to its own brands, the company, which has solid credibility with the national and international market, will establish new partnerships and collaborate with the construction and consolidation of other events and brands dear to the Brazilian public.”

The Lollapalooza brand has grown to eight countries on four continents, including editions in the US, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, Sweden and India.

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Foo Fighters have been confirmed as the first headliner of The Town, a new 105,000-capacity festival in Sāo Paulo organised by the founder of Rock in Rio.

Initially announced in 2021, the inaugural edition of The Town will take place on 2, 3, 7, 9 and 10 September 2023 at the Interlagos race track.

The event will involve “lots of music, lots of stages and lots of entertainment, with national and international attractions during the five days of celebration,” according to The Town, Rock in Rio founder Roberto Medina.

The announcement of the first headliner in the first edition of a new festival is a moment that will live forever”

Foo Fighters will perform on The Town’s mainstage on 9 September while, elsewhere, Brazillian singer Ludmilla has been announced for the Skyline stage.

“The announcement of the first headliner in the first edition of a new festival is a moment that will live forever,” says Medina.

“Only those who lived and made the first Rock in Rio edition, in 1985, know this. In that time we announced Ozzy and Queen as the first headliners and today, in the day after Rock in Rio’s anniversary, we are pleased to announce another memorable moment by announcing such a prestigious band that, I’m sure, will give a breathtaking performance. The Town’s dream is becoming real.”

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For the first time in the history of Rock in Rio, the Brazil and Portugal editions will be taking place in the same year.

The organisers have decided to mark the occasion with a special pass for fans wishing to celebrate the return of Rock in Rio on both sides of the Atlantic.

For under €200, the Global Experience pass will give fans access to one weekend of the Lisbon edition and one day of the Brazil edition.

The Lisbon-based edition of Rock in Rio (cap. 80,000) will return after four years between 18–19 and 25–26 June, with Foo Fighters, The National, Liam Gallagher, Duran Duran, a-ha, Xutos & Pontapés, Bush and Post Malone.

For under €200, the Global Experience will give fans access to one weekend of the Lisbon edition and one day of Brazil

The Brazilian edition of Rock in Rio (cap. 100,000) will be held between 2–4 and 8–11 September 2022 at the Olympic Park in Rio De Janeiro, and will be headlined by Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato.

The Rio De Janeiro biennial, which is the largest festival in south America, will now take place on even years while new festival The Town will take place on the odd years.

The Town was announced in August 2021 and is slated to be “the biggest music, culture and art festival Sāo Paulo, Brazil, has ever seen”.

The inaugural edition will take place in September 2023, welcoming up to 105,000 people per day to the Interlagos race track in Sāo Paulo – the largest city in Latin America.

Rock in Rio is majority-owned by Live Nation after the entertainment giant increased its shareholding in the company, in 2019.

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