Rock in Rio has already escaped its Brazilian confines, but the company (also called Rock in Rio) has more-or-less declared that the event will make its American debut in Las Vegas during 2015. And anyone familiar with spectacle that is R.i.R. won't be surprised to hear that's where promoters saw fit to plant the festival's seed. The 80,000-plus capacity venue will be held on the Las Vegas Strip and Rock in Rio CEO Luis Justo.
"It's like an amusement park with a lot of different attractions," he said. "More than the talent itself, the experience that the crowd has at Rock In Rio is really different."
Among the highlights planned: a ferris wheel. A zip-line for concert-goers to ride across the festival. "Streets" themed after the festival's Brazilian namesake. And a flying DJ booth. Let's focus just on that last part.
"At the end of the last headliner on the main stage, a DJ will literally come flying from the main stage to the middle of the crowd," Justo said. "And Rock in Rio will transform into a 360-degree nightclub."
To give an idea of how grand in scope the plans are, workers will begin constructing the venue in July, and will continue for seven months. MGM Resorts, Cirque de Soleil and the Yucaipa Investment Firm have all bought in. It's far too early to know anything about the potential lineup, but Justo already plans on this being the first in a line of Vegas-based Rock in Rio's. The Brazilian mother festival occurs biennially, and the Vegas version would do the same. Justo hasn't given contract details, but hinted that 2017 and 2019 were already on lock.
Lisbon will host its own Rock in Rio during May, featuring performances from The Rolling Stones, Justin Timberlake and Linkin Park.
