Joe GallopLive Nation has moved Rock in Rio Lison (cap. 80,000) to a new site ahead of its 20th-anniversary edition next year, with Ed Sheeran announced as the headliner.
The festival, which was acquired by Live Nation in 2018, will move from Lisbon’s Parque da Bela Vista to Parque Tejo Trancão, which hosted World Youth Day this year. It will again have a capacity of 80,000 across two weekends, 15-16 and 22-23 June.
Next year marks not only the 20th anniversary of Rock in Rio Lisbon but also the 40th anniversary of the original Rock in Rio, which originated in Rio De Janeiro.
Inspired by the Brazilian city, next year’s Lisbon festival will feature a new stage and a new ‘Route 85’ area where attendees can learn about the history of the event. The World Stage, which will have a backdrop between the Tagus River and the Vasco da Gama Bridge, will feature an audiovisual show commemorating the 20th anniversary, taking place daily in the clearing of this stage.
Other spaces that debuted last year are also moving to the new venue, including the Chef’s Garden, Cidade do Rock and the ESC Online Sports, which will coincide with the European football championship.
Sheeran returns to headline the festival on 16 June, ten years after his debut on the Main Stage.
Roberta Medina, vice president of brand reputation at Rock World said, “Looking back and seeing Rock in Rio’s journey since arriving in Portugal in 2004, how much the festival and the market have evolved, the challenges we’ve overcome, the legacy we’ve already left behind, all the people we’ve made a mark on and the projects we’ve created and supported over the years that would allow us to help transform lives, that’s what makes it worthwhile.”