Founded in 1985 by Brazilian music impresario Roberto Medina, Rock in Rio is an event juggernaut unlike any other. Staged 13 times to date in Brazil, Spain and Portugal, the franchise has attracted nearly 7.5 million people with A-list talent such as the Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Queen.
Last month, Rock in Rio came to Vegas. Scheduled for two consecutive weekends, “Rock” followed by “Pop,” bookings included more than 120 multigenre acts on six stages including headliners No Doubt, Metallica, Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars. The show also featured signature Rock in Rio elements such as three themed “streetscapes” (USA, U.K. and Brazil), a zipline and a Ferris wheel.
Why Vegas for its American debut?
“Rock in Rio is an urban festival with a model that requires a premium experience for our guests,” says Luis Justo, the event’s CEO. “With 150,000-plus rooms mostly in walking distance to the event, a good airport and transportation infrastructure, and perfect weather conditions, Las Vegas has the perfect structure to host our event. Plus, the city is seen as the top entertainment destination for Americans and foreigners.”
Through New York-based SFX Entertainment, a leading multibrand producer of live electronic dance music (EDM) events that acquired a 50 percent controlling interest in Rock in Rio last year, the festival partnered with MGM Resorts International to build a permanent site for the event.
Located on the 40-acre MGM Resorts Festival Grounds adjacent to the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, the 85,000-person capacity site includes artificial turf, underground cabling, plumbing and permanent toilets for future EDM and other events.
“Recognizing the opportunity of bringing a large-scale musical festival to the Strip, MGM invested more than $20 million in creating the perfect venue for our event,” Justo says. “Rock in Rio has already committed to two more editions in Vegas in the next five years.”
SFX also has its eye on more programming in Vegas.
“SFX is always exploring new markets for its portfolio of brands as well as markets that are a natural fit to grow our business,” says Jacob Smid, SFX’s managing director for North America. “Las Vegas, as the entertainment capital of the world and an electronic music mecca, is an obvious fit for SFX to develop as a market, and we are having discussions with regard to a wide variety of opportunities, from festivals to clubs to venues.”
