Rock in Rio, the biggest music festival in the world, is fast approaching, with the Las Vegas iteration being just over two weeks away. We’re not kidding about it being the world’s largest festival either; in the 14 festivals of Rock in Rio over the years, 1,274 artists have played to more than 7 million people. This year Rock in Rio is adding two weekends in Las Vegas headlined by Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars.
According to international ticket reseller Ticketbis, a first-weekend ticket has an average ticket price of $480.27 with a get-in price of $201. The first weekend is labeled the "Rock" weekend and will include acts like No Doubt, Metallica, Linkin Park, Rise Against, Gary Clark Jr., and Coheed & Cambria, among many others. The more pop-oriented second-weekend Rock in Rio passes have an average price of $406.03 with a walk-in price of $233. This lineup includes: Swift, Mars, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Big Sean, Jesse J, John Legend, Charli XCX, Tove Lo, and more.
Over the past three years, the Rio de Janeiro version of Rock in Rio has generated the highest amount of sales, totaling 66 percent of all sales for the entire festival, according to Ticketbis, with Rock in Rio Lisbon a distant second behind them, drawing 25 percent of sales. Furthermore, Ticketbis has determined the best-selling act was the Rolling Stones in Lisbon, accounting for 16 percent of all Rock in Rio sales. Following right behind them are Bruce Springsteen commanding 8.1 percent of sales, and then Bon Jovi with 7.6 percent, both occurring at the Rio de Janeiro event.
Starting in 1985, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil arrived on the global concert scene by having a show with Hall of Fame-caliber talent, including Queen, AC/DC, Rod Stewart, and Ozzy Osbourne, plus some of Brazil’s top national stars, like Gilberto Gil, Pepeu Gomes, Barão Vermelho, and many more.
In 1991, Rock in Rio aired the festival on television, and it was transmitted to 55 countries, drawing in 580 million viewers over the course of nine days worth of shows. The show only grew more popular, placing itself in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest paying audience ever, as 198,000 fans danced to “Take on Me.” What used to be an event that would occur every few years now takes place annually because of such great fanfare.
The festival bounced around different parts of Spain, Portugal, and Brazil, including Lisbon, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro, and is expanding into the United States, as 2015’s Rock in Rio will be located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The City of Rock venue will be the host to 15 shows per day with full concerts by your favorite performers. The architectural beauty of its space and impeccable infrastructure make this more of an entertainment mini-city compared to a one-show concert.
Through television and online, nearly 10 times the number of people who watched the latest broadcast of the Super Bowl watched the Rock in Rio concert. This worldwide event has no script, as last year fans received a spontaneous jam session between Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones. The shows will only grow and become more entertaining as time goes on.
