Rock in Rio coming to the U.S. for first time in 2015
John Mayer, No Doubt and Sepultura with Les Tambours Du Bronx were on hand Friday night in New York's Times Square to help announce the launch of Rock in Rio in America.
The music event, which began in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1985, is coming to Las Vegas over two weekends in 2015: May 8-9 and May 15-16.
Metallica, Linkin Park, Taylor Swift, No Doubt, Deftones and John Legend are part of the initial lineup for the Vegas music festival, which will take place at a new permanent open-air concert venue located on The Strip near the corner of Sahara Avenue. Spread out over 37 acres, the space can hold up to 85,000 people per day. The Vegas edition of Rock in Rio will include six stages and 3 themed Rock Streets.
"From the first Rock in Rio festival in Brazil in 1985 to next year's anniversary and Las Vegas launch, it's been an amazing journey with Rock in Rio fans and the artists that have taken part in the festival," said Roberta Medina, VP of Rock in Rio. "We're thrilled to see the construction of our first US City of Rock and to announce the first artists who will perform in Las Vegas in May 2015."
To coincide with launch and 30th anniversary of the first Rock in Rio, organizers announced the social media initiative, "30 Years, Many Dreams,' which will grant "wishes" submitted by fans.
After the announcement Mayer took to an outdoor stage in Times Square to perform "No Such Thing" and "Gravity."
Many artists have performed at the original Rock in Rio in Brazil over the years, including Bruce Springsteen, Queen, Beyonce and Shakira. Brazil's next Rock in Rio, featuring headliner Katy Perry, is slated for September 2015.
Pre-sale tickets for Vegas are on sale here.
