Xutos & Pontapés: the band that is part of our 20 years

20 years of Rock in Rio Lisboa. 10th editions of transcendent musical experiences. An ever-present name: Xutos & Pontapés.  

The band that represents Portuguese rock is an integral part of Rock in Rio Lisboa's history. They first stepped on stage at the festival's inaugural edition. Since then, they have been a regular presence at every edition. So, it's not surprising that we have such special stories with Xutos & Pontapés.  

The City of Rock was born in Lisbon, and with it the World Stage. It was there that we welcomed them in 2004, at a concert that coincided with their 25th anniversary tour. The audience thrilled to the new songs and, of course, to the band's much-loved classics.

But their presence didn't stop in Lisbon. The band of Tim, Zé Pedro, Kalú, João Cabeleira and Gui also flew to Brazil in 2011 to share the stage with Titãs. The two bands were so well matched that they performed together again at the Lisbon edition.  

Wherever you are, Xutos & Pontapés is a name that always sounds familiar. But imagine hearing Mick Jagger shouting this name to the entire audience at Parque da Bela Vista. Yes, the lead singer of The Rolling Stones thanked the authors of "Homem do Leme" for their performance moments before they took to the stage in 2014. Even today, they feel it was an honour to hear their name called!

Stories, stories and more stories added up. At the following year's edition, in addition to the entire audience attending the concert by the much-loved Portuguese band, there was one personality who didn't go unnoticed: Bruce Springsteen. That's right, "The Boss" was on the World Stage watching the Xutos concert and they didn't even realize it because their backs were turned. But don't worry, they have an excuse. They were facing an audience of over 67,000 people who visited us that day.

But if there's one performance that will stay with us forever, it's the one in 2018. The group told us the whole story behind that moment in the episode of Untold Stories available on our YouTube channel. For that year's edition, the band had prepared a tribute concert to Zé Pedro, the guitarist who had died the previous year. The story begins precisely at the guitarist's funeral ceremony, when Roberta Medina approached the band members and expressed her desire to pay tribute to the guitarist. At the same time, and without knowing it, the President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed the same thing. The band immediately had an idea and met with the Rock in Rio team to discuss the possibility of making this tribute happen. We couldn't hide our amazement when Xutos told us the whole story. But we knew we had to make it happen! We kept this secret under lock and key, transformed the dressing room into a tent with a capacity for a hundred people, and what followed was transcendent: an emotional, chilling concert, where around 70 people took to the World Stage, including politicians and other public figures, such as the President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister António Costa, the then President of the Portuguese Parliament Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, Francisco Louçã and Catarina Martins, friends and family of the guitarist. Even footballer Pauleta was there!

It seems crazy to bring so many people together on the World Stage. But it would be even crazier to repeat the experience. So only Xutos & Pontapés can do it in 2024. At the concert commemorating 20 years of Rock in Rio, the band created a concert especially for this occasion, with the Portuguese Philharmonic Orchestra. Under the baton of Maestro Osvaldo Ferreira, the more than 70 musicians on stage promise to take the musical experience to new heights, offering fans a unique and exciting experience. We're already counting down the days! 

Xutos & Pontapés have also been spectators at Rock in Rio and remember some thrilling performances such as those by Elton John, Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones and Foo Fighters. We're sure that the Portuguese rock band's performance at this year's edition will be memorable for all those who visit Parque Tejo Lisboa. Get your X-arms ready, because we have a date on 15 June!