Rock in Rio Lisboa kicks off road to Brazil

Rock in Rio Lisboa opens on Saturday, June 20, turning Parque Tejo Lisboa into a hub for music fans from more than 125 countries. With two dates already sold out, the Portuguese edition launches a festival run that will continue in September, when Rock in Rio Brasil 2026 takes over the Cidade do Rock in Rio de Janeiro.

This is more than a European stop on the brand’s calendar. Lisbon works as the first chapter of a wider 2026 story, one that stretches across the Atlantic and reaches Brazil with shared artists, shared momentum and a lineup designed to connect different scenes. Names including Pedro Sampaio, Alok, Sepultura, Calema, Carol Biazin, Joyce Alane, Belo, DENNIS, Bento Gil and Melly are set to play both editions.

Across June 20, 21, 27 and 28, Lisbon will host a mix of Brazilian, Portuguese and international acts including Katy Perry, Linkin Park, Rod Stewart, 21 Savage, Charlie Puth, Cypress Hill, Cyndi Lauper, Central Cee, Bebe Rexha, Joss Stone, Lola Indigo, CeeLo Green, Matuê and Filipe Ret. The result is a bill that mirrors one of the festival’s strongest traits: putting multiple generations and genres in the same space without flattening their differences.

A bridge across the Atlantic

Roberta Medina, executive vice president of Rock World, said the 2026 Lisbon edition represents a unique meeting point for cultures, talent and audiences from around the world. She also highlighted the event’s impact on tourism and the local economy, especially with visitors arriving from more than 125 countries and two festival days already sold out.

For Medina, the connection between Lisbon and Rio goes well beyond sharing a name. Artists, audiences and experiences move between both editions, strengthening what she describes as a cultural bridge that grows with each cycle. In practice, that means the Lisbon crowds will help set the emotional temperature for what arrives in Brazil a few months later.

That continuity matters because Rock in Rio no longer operates as isolated events. The 2026 editions are being framed as part of one larger journey, with Lisbon opening the season and Rio receiving that accumulated energy in September.

Brazilian artists set the tone

Pedro Sampaio, one of the standout names on the World Stage this Saturday, said Portugal has played a special role in his career. He described the Lisbon concert as an extension of the “Brazilian Chaos Tour,” while teasing surprises and the first live Portuguese performances of “JETSKI” and “SEQUÊNCIA FEITICEIRA.”

Carol Biazin, who also performs on June 20, said her Portugal and Brazil shows will be different in structure and musical production, even though both will carry songs from the album “No Escuro, Quem É Você?”. Her description points to a performance built around belonging, emotional release and visual impact.

Melly, scheduled for June 27, said the Lisbon date will carry added meaning because it will be the first time she performs songs from her new album “Mais Forte Que a Dúvida.” For the singer, appearing in both Rock in Rio editions is a singular opportunity inside a major and wide-ranging lineup.

On June 28, DENNIS brings a trajectory he links directly to the growth of funk within the festival. He recalled performing at Espaço Favela in Brazil and said stepping onto Music Valley in Lisbon reflects how far the genre has come inside Rock in Rio.

What Lisbon will host

The 2026 edition marks the festival’s return to Portugal in what organizers describe as a special and unprecedented format. There will be dozens of live shows, performances and attractions spread across 17 entertainment areas, including five stages. The location at Parque Tejo Lisboa adds the Tagus River and the Vasco da Gama Bridge to the visual identity of the site.

On Saturday, June 20, the lineup includes Katy Perry, Charlie Puth, Pedro Sampaio, Calema, DJ Diego Gonzalez, Maninho, Nena, Audrey Nuna, ALOK, Sofia Camara, NAPA, Bebe Rexha, Bárbara Bandeira, Especial Video Jukebox by Mega Hits com Zé Vida, Especial Cala-te Boca by Mega Hits com Zé Vida e Matilde Prata Pears, GAMIX, ZARKO, João Maria, Joyce Alane, De Fenómeno ao Viral ao Sucesso nos Palcos with Tiago David, Agir, ZARKO and Francisca Borges, Carol Biazin, Rock Revenge-Et-Vous and Diego Miranda.

On Sunday, June 21, the festival hosts Linkin Park, Cypress Hill, The Pretty Reckless, Grandson, Sepultura, P.O.D, Sam The Kid com Orquestra e Orelha Negra, Dealema, Hoobastank, Kaiser Chiefs, Blasted Mechanism, Tara Perdida, Especial Video Jukebox by Mega Hits com Zé Vida, Especial Cala-te Boca by Mega Hits com Zé Vida e Matilde Prata, Glitter Podcast com Carina Caldeira e Rita Pereira, Gameshow by Guilherme Fonseca, Seja Como For com Miguel Caixeiro e João Maria Ferreira, Jimmy P, Especial Monstros do Ano by Fernando Alvim com participação de Maria Leal, Samuel Úria, Rock Revenge´Et-Vous and Diego Miranda.

On Saturday, June 27, the schedule features Rod Stewart, Cyndi Lauper, Shaggy, 4 Non Blondes, Xutos & Pontapés, GNR, UHF, Jafumega, Belo, Joss Stone, The Wailers, SYRO, Especial Cala-te Boca by Mega Hits com Zé Vida e Matilde Prata, Especial Vídeo Jukebox by Mega Hits com Zé Vida, Vamos Viajar na Maionese – Podcast ao Vivo com Hugo van der Ding e Tiago Ribeiro, Melly, Desafio Rui UnasCanta Se Souberes, Bento Gil, Vitor Sá, Dário Guerreiro e Rodrigo Correia, Bia Caboz, ULAS and Bateu Matou liveshow.

On Sunday, June 28, attendees will see 21 Savage, Central Cee, Rema, Matuê, DENNIS, Filipe Ret, Carlão, Irina Barros, Karetus, Valete, Lola Indigo, CeeLo Green, Especial Vídeo Jukebox by Mega Hits com Zé Vida, Especial Cala-te Boca by Mega Hits com Zé Vida e Matilde Prata, Elyas, Mónica Vale do Gato, Joana Miranda e Isabel Viana, DJ Big & BJ Glue, Más Influências com Bruna Magalhães e Mia Fernandes, King Bigs, Carlos Vidal: A Petição com participação de João Moreira, Manuel João Vieira e Pedro Santo and Rima.PT with NTS, DJ Maskarilha, SP Rocha, Guigox, Rickas, Joker, Melro, Meixinha, Flays and Gash.

Brazil’s edition is already taking shape

After Lisbon, the festival heads to Rio de Janeiro for Rock in Rio Brasil 2026, scheduled for September 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12 and 13, 2026, at the Cidade do Rock in the Olympic Park. Organizers have already released the full lineup, along with details on new stage designs and audience experiences.

On the first weekend, September 4 brings Foo Fighters as the World Stage headliner, alongside Rise Against, The Hives and Nova Twins. September 5 features Avenged Sevenfold, Bring Me The Horizon, mgk (Machine Gun Kelly) and Sepultura. On September 6, Calvin Harris tops a bill that also includes Black Eyed Peas, Nelly and Barão Vermelho – Encontro Formação Original. The September 7 holiday lineup is led by Elton John, with Gilberto Gil, Jon Batiste and Luísa Sonza convida Roberto Menescal also on the stage.

The second weekend starts on September 11 with Stray Kids, Alok, HWASA and NEXZ on the World Stage. September 12 brings Maroon 5, Demi Lovato, J Balvin and Pedro Sampaio. The closing date, September 13, features Twenty One Pilots, Halsey, Lola Young and Ivete Sangalo. Elsewhere on the site, the festival will also host Jamiroquai, Mumford & Sons, Criolo, João Gomes com a Orquestra Brasileira, Zara Larsson, Marina Sena, Carol Biazin convida Joyce Alane, DENNIS, Belo, Melly and Bento Gil convida Flor Gil.

New visuals and expanded attractions

The Brazilian edition will introduce major visual changes. The World Stage gets an entirely new design and, for the first time, its full front structure will be covered with 2,400 square meters of high-definition LED panels, effectively turning the stage into one massive visual screen.

New Dance Order, described as the biggest dance floor in Cidade do Rock, also returns with a new structure measuring 56.50 meters wide and 22.5 meters high. Its visual project includes 502 square meters of LED panels, reinforcing the immersive interplay of music, movement and light.

Another addition is Gourmet Square, curated by chef Pedro Siqueira, recognized among the 100 best pizza makers in the world by The Best Pizza Awards 2025. The area will also feature the cuisine of Sìsì in one of its restaurants. The festival is also bringing back the aerial show The Flight, with synchronized acrobatics, a special soundtrack and 756 daytime fireworks shots.

Babilônia Feira Hype returns as well to celebrate 30 years since its first edition. This time, it will occupy a new area near New Dance Order in a structure designed by architect João Uchôa. The space will include 20 tents, 60 exhibitors, guest DJs and an urban art installation throughout the seven festival days.

ECCO adds a sensory arena

In partnership with LightWire, Rock in Rio has also announced ECCO, a large-scale attraction that will take over an arena inside Cidade do Rock. Part of the festival’s Fábrica de Sonhos, the project is presented as a 360-degree immersive journey combining light, sound, technology, body, scents and nature.

The concept is inspired by the idea that the forest is the true origin of sound. The show combines dancers, precise choreography, an original surround soundtrack, mapped projections, holography, immersive audio and LED and optical-fiber costumes. Among the technologies mentioned are PixelWear, with more than 1,500 individually controlled LED pixels, and NewDress, which uses 1,000 meters of LED-lit optical fiber.

Each of the five daily presentations will last 20 minutes and host up to 1,000 people inside the venue. The attraction reinforces the festival’s long-running effort to build experiences that extend beyond concerts and keep audiences moving through different layers of the site.

Tickets on sale now

General ticket sales for Rock in Rio Brasil 2026 are already open and available exclusively online through Ticketmaster Brasil. The address provided by the organizers is: https://www.ticketmaster.com.br/event/rockinrio

General admission costs R$ 870 full price, R$ 435 half-price and R$ 739.50 for Itaú clients, with no service fee. The new Comfort Zone ticket, which gives access to an exclusive area beside the World Stage with dedicated bars and restrooms, costs R$ 1,950 full price, R$ 975 half-price and R$ 1,657.50 for Itaú clients.

Payment is available via credit card or PIX. Credit cards issued by Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A. grant a 15% discount, not cumulative with half-price benefits, and allow payment in up to eight interest-free installments. Other accepted cards allow up to six interest-free installments. International cards are excluded from installment payments. PIX payments must be completed within 10 minutes after the code is generated.

Customers may purchase up to four tickets per festival day, combining General Admission and Comfort Zone, with a limit of one half-price ticket per sector. People with disabilities may also select one additional half-price ticket for a companion for each purchased date, while respecting the maximum of four tickets per day under the same tax ID.

Discount rules and festival legacy

At the gates, festival staff will check documents required to validate half-price eligibility. If a buyer cannot prove the benefit, the difference may be paid at the designated customer service points for half-price admissions. Organizers advise attendees to have the proper documents ready before approaching the entrance.

The release lists students, people under 21, seniors over 60, people with disabilities and a companion, education professionals and teachers from Rio de Janeiro’s school system, low-income youth and sanitation workers from the Companhia Municipal de Limpeza Urbana among the groups eligible for the benefit. It also details the documentation required for several of those categories.

Rock in Rio also used the announcement to revisit its own history. First held in 1985 from an idea by Roberto Medina, the event says it has now generated more than 297.6 thousand direct and indirect jobs and produced an economic impact of R$ 2.9 billion in Rio de Janeiro in 2024 alone.

The festival adds that it was recognized in 2022 as intangible cultural heritage of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Since 1985, more than 12.3 million visitors have passed through its Cidade do Rock sites, watching more than 4,667 artists across 141 days. Of its 24 editions, 10 were held in Brazil, 10 in Portugal, three in Spain and one in the United States.

Event Info

• Event: Rock in Rio Lisboa 2026
• Dates: June 20, 21, 27 and 28
• Venue: Parque Tejo Lisboa
• June 20 and 21: sold out
• Event: Rock in Rio Brasil 2026
• Dates: September 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12 and 13, 2026
• Venue: Cidade do Rock, Parque Olímpico do Rio de Janeiro
• General sale: exclusively online via Ticketmaster Brasil
• Address: https://www.ticketmaster.com.br/event/rockinrio
• General admission: R$ 870 full price, R$ 435 half-price, R$ 739.50 for Itaú clients
• Comfort Zone: R$ 1,950 full price, R$ 975 half-price, R$ 1,657.50 for Itaú clients