RIO DE JANEIRO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rock in Rio, the legendary music festival, will launch its first stateside edition in Las Vegas in May 2015 with support from iHeartRadio. Founded by Brazilian entrepreneur Roberto Medina, Rock in Rio has redefined the modern music festival experience with its immersive combination of the biggest names in music and a massive entertainment attraction for fans and families.
The Mother of All Festivals
Since its inception in 1985, Rock in Rio has been a cultural phenomenon. Launched as a way to return joy and confidence to the people of Brazil at the end of a military regime, Rock in Rio’s inaugural event broke music festival records with 1.38 million attendees – five times larger than Woodstock. Since that monumental concert, 13 Rock in Rio festivals have taken place across three countries with more than 7 million people attending and 1 billion more watching at home around the world. Last year’s festival in Rio sold out all 600,000 tickets in an unprecedented four hours.
More than 1,120 musical acts have ignited Rock in Rio stages over the years including Bon Jovi, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Paul McCartney, David Guetta, Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, Shakira and Muse. That number will grow this summer at Rock in Rio Lisbon (Portugal) where The Rolling Stones, Justin Timberlake, Lorde, Arcade Fire, Queens of the Stone Age, Linkin Park and Ed Sheeran are scheduled to perform.
“In May 2015, World’s legendary music festival will touch down in the heart of Las Vegas, creating a magical experience for music fans, brands and the local community,” said Roberto Medina, founder, Rock in Rio. “After 30 years of entertaining audiences around the world, the time is right to bring the Rock in Rio experience to the United States, the biggest stage in the world.”
Rock in Rio’s arrival in the United States follows an option agreement signed last year with SFX Entertainment to acquire a 50 percent interest in the company. SFX Entertainment, founded by Robert F.X. Sillerman, is the world’s largest producer of live events and entertainment content focused primarily on electronic music culture and produces popular international EDM festivals including Electric Zoo and Tomorrowland.
“It’s exciting to be a part of the team bringing Rock in Rio to the United States for the first time,” said Robert F.X. Sillerman, Chairman and CEO of SFX Entertainment. “Rock in Rio has been a cultural phenomenon across the globe for three decades, but the brand is only growing stronger. By combining the entertainment force of Rock in Rio and electronic-music pedigree of SFX Entertainment and the support of iHeartRadio, the sky is the limit for this great music festival. We can’t wait to show Americans what Rock in Rio is all about.”
Extensive Cross-Platform Promotional Initiatives
Rock in Rio is more than a music festival – it is an extensive promotional platform powered by some of the biggest names in the media business. The launch campaign’s media plan includes a broad mix of radio, digital, mobile, print, cinema, cable TV and trade & entertainment magazines. A hallmark of Rock in Rio, this rich promotional platform will be experienced by the American public throughout the next 14 months until the festival opens its doors, in May 2015.
As a major part of this cross-platform initiative, Rock in Rio USA will also be able to leverage a new partnership with Clear Channel Media and Entertainment and its industry-leading iHeartRadio digital radio platform -- Rock in Rio USA - Powered by iHeartRadio -- to promote the festival to Clear Channel’s more than 245 million monthly broadcast listeners and the millions more using the iHeartRadio digital service.
Rock in Rio will also partner with NCM Network, with presence in the three largest theatre circuits in America, Regal, AMC and Cinemark, to promote Rock in Rio in cinemas across the U.S.
“NCM is excited to be a part of the Rock in Rio family,” said Cliff Marks, president of sales and marketing with NCM Media Networks. “We see this as an awesome event, and I look forward to working together with our brand partners to create fun, integrated Rock in Rio ad concepts for the big screen.”
Starting March 25, 2014, the first wave of the Rock in Rio USA advertising campaign will run for two weeks across the U.S. and will reach and estimated 70 million Americans.
Rock in Rio USA Powered by iHeartRadio
As part of the partnership, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment will launch an on-air and digital promotion designed to leverage Clear Channel’s powerful properties and audiences to introduce Rock in Rio to listeners and fans on more than 160 stations across the U.S. The multi-platform promotion will also include the launch of an Ultimate Contest giving listeners the chance to win an all-inclusive trip to Rock in Rio Portugal or Brazil.
This commitment to creating a close and emotional relationship with the public by investing so much care on the festival’s communication platform is surely an unseen practice among music festivals all over the world. And that’s what makes Rock in Rio not only one of the world’s biggest music and entertainment event, but also a powerful love mark.
The City of Rock
On a scale like Las Vegas has never seen, Rock in Rio will build a permanent open-air concert infrastructure, custom-made to host the festival. The massive music and entertainment venue, called the “City of Rock,” will be equipped to receive around 80,000 people a day. The City of Rock will feature five stages, including Main Stage and EDM Stage; streetscapes representing Brazil, U.S.A. and the U.K.; amusement park rides (roller coaster, Ferris wheel, zip line, etc.) and a VIP area – all celebrating the global flavors of music, food and drink, art and more.
To date, the City of Rock has been permanently erected in three Rock in Rio host countries – Brazil, Spain, and Portugal – a mission that no other music festival has attempted. The impressive scale of the City of Rock provides ample entertainment experiences for fans – beyond the music – and welcomes sponsorship opportunities for brands looking to reach thousands of families and festival-goers.
Rock in Rio was the first event in the Americas recognized for its sustainability efforts and certified as ISO 20121.
Local Impact
The impact of Rock in Rio on host cities is staggering. Rock in Rio has created more than 139,500 jobs with a $1 billion impact on the economy in Rio in 2011 and 2013. Additionally, more than $23 million has been collected for a wide variety of social and environmental causes. With an initial investment of $75 million, Rock in Rio estimates the festival will create 9,000 jobs in the U.S., boost hotel occupancy and increase Brazilian tourism to Las Vegas, thanks to the Rock in Rio brand’s strong standing with the Brazilian public.
Tickets for Rock in Rio U.S.A. will go on sale to the general public in January 2015, but they can currently be reserved, for a limited period of time - without any payment obligation – on the festival’s official website.
For more information, visit www.RockinRio.com. Get the latest updates via Rock in Rio’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/RockInRioUSA) and Twitter feed (Twitter.com/rockinriousa).
