Rock in Rio Lisbon is set to make its long awaited return after four years. The festival, which normally runs every two years, last took place in 2018. The festival was put on further hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The festival director, Roberta Medina, has promised that the festival will be “lots of entertainment and fun".
"The theme of this year’s festival is ‘reunion’", said Medina, in a press conference. "We worked hard and took advantage of the second postponement to have a lot of entertainment,” she said. “The trick is to arrive early, because there is a lot to do”.
Medina, highlighted that there will be "incredible concerts on all stages", including The National, Muse, Black Eyed Peas, Ellie Goulding, David Carreira, Duran Duran, A-Ha, Post Malone, Anita, HMB, Xutos & Pontapés, Bush, António Zambujo, Ney Matogrosso, Mundo Segundo & Sam the Kid, Omar Souleyman, Linda Martíni, Bombino, Sara Correia, Bárbara Tinoco, The Black Mamba, among many others.
The festival begins at 12:00 in the afternoon and ends at 02:00 the following morning on each day of the festival.
The 'city of rock' opens at 12:00 and closes at 02:00 of the following day, on each of the four days of the festival.
Rock in Rio Lisbon
To get to Parque da Bela Vista, the organisation recommends the use of public transport, with special transport offers agreed with CP, Fertagus, and Rede Expressos for ticket holders. There will also be a pick-up and drop-off point for passengers on one of the TVDE platforms.
"There is no reason not to come by transport", said the festival director, underlining that the organisers have taken care to ensure the concerts on Palco Mundo, where the headliners will perform, finish at 00:30 so that festival-goers will have time to catch the last metro.
The festival will have 25 free water points throughout the festival grounds, as well as accessible areas for people with reduced mobility. The stages will also have live sign language interpreters and there will be a braille map of the festival grounds for deaf and/or blind patrons.
The Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, was also present at the press conference, and called the festival "part of the city's identity - open, connected to diversity, and linked to the future".
"We will continue for many years with Rock in Rio. The partnership is good for the city," he said.