A NEW CITY OF ROCK IS ABOUT TO BE BORN

On June 15, 16, 22 and 23, 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 Tagus 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 recent Parque Tejo Lisboa, just as it did 20 years ago, when the festival was established in Parque da Bela Vista. 

The doors of the new City of Rock in Parque Tejo Lisboa will open to the public on June 15, 16, 22 and 23, 2024. This new location will maintain the capacity of the previous venue, in 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 news continues: the iconic Palco Mundo, which this year will benefit from a stunning backdrop between the Tagus River and the Vasco da Gama Bridge, will continue to host the biggest national and international artists (Ed Sheeran has already been confirmed for this edition) and will feature an audiovisual show commemorating the 20th anniversary, taking place daily in the clearing of this stage. Also returning to the City of Rock is the Galp Music Valley, 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 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 soccer 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 toured the world, maintains a base in Brazil and another in Portugal and has left a legacy in all the countries 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 sneakers, 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.

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 launched the social project "For a better world" as a way to formalize what was already 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: in the already iconic Pala do Parque Tejo Lisboa, the festival will create a space that will explore these 20 years from a socio-environmental perspective, recalling the projects that are part of the festival's legacy.

"The Peak" of Park Tejo Lisboa is already an icon of the area and has a great symbolic importance for the city. We wanted to highlight this importance and give it a central role in this special edition of Rock in Rio Lisbon, having chosen it as the place to materialize the concept of our campaign, "All in Rio", and our purpose of a better world. It will thus be the stage of the Better World, where it will be possible to revisit the various initiatives developed - from the Rock in Rio Solar School (which in 2009 received the Energy Globe Award), through reforestation projects, charity auctions and experiences with artists, initiatives that have enabled equipping hospitals and IPSS, the construction of sensory rooms for young people, among many others - and discuss ideas and commitments for the future", reveals Roberta Medina.

In addition to all these spaces, the offer of the Cidade do Rock 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 of the entire Cidade do Rock and all of Lisbon. There will also be space in the venue for the traditional and sophisticated Gato Preto VIP Zone, 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).