Rock in Rio is preparing for its 11th edition in 2026, with a lineup of concerts set for the Cidade do Rock in Rio de Janeiro. But despite the festival's name pointing to the Brazilian capital, the brand has traveled to several other countries over the past two decades.
The first country to host its own version of the festival was Portugal. The event kept the same structure as the Brazilian editions but added the host city to its name, becoming Rock in Rio Lisboa.
Rock in Rio Lisboa
Rock in Rio Lisboa began in 2004 and has since held 11 editions, matching the number held in Brazil. The festival takes place every two years, with the exception of 2020, when it was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Performers including Paul McCartney, Sting, Britney Spears, Metallica, Linkin Park, the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen have played the Lisbon edition, staged at Parque Bela Vista and later Parque Tejo.
Rock in Rio in Spain
Rock in Rio Madrid ran for only three editions, in 2008, 2010 and 2012, before being cancelled in 2014 amid an economic crisis in Spain.
Acts who performed for Spanish audiences included Neil Young, Lenny Kravitz, Amy Winehouse, Rihanna, Rage Against the Machine, Shakira and Motorhead.
A single edition in the United States
Las Vegas hosted the only edition of Rock in Rio USA, a four-day event held in 2015. The contract had called for further editions in the years that followed, but setbacks, including low ticket demand, prevented the festival from continuing.
No Doubt, Mana, Metallica, Linkin Park, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and John Legend were among the headline acts at the American edition.
The Argentina edition that never happened
Rock in Rio had also been scheduled to take place in Buenos Aires in 2014, but political issues in Argentina prevented the shows from going ahead.
Roberto Medina, the festival's founder and owner, said at the time that Rock in Rio Buenos Aires had been nearly ready to launch, but a local government rule banning the transfer of dollars abroad blocked several of the negotiations needed to stage it.
