This European music festival is a cheaper (and better) alternative to Glastonbury for Brits-Brooke Ivey Johnson-Entertainment – Metro

Rock In Rio Lisbon kicked off this weekend with a truly memorable two days (Picture: Hugo Moreira)

Between the hefty price tag, the difficulty getting tickets, and the undependable weather, Glastonbury is becoming more stressful by the year. 

Luckily, even if you didn’t manage to grab tickets for Glasto or simply couldn’t afford to, you may still be able to get your festival fix this summer at a European festival like Rock In Rio Lisbon.

Rock In Rio Lisbon’s first weekend drew a sold-out crowd of 160,000 people from all over the world on June 15 and 16, offering one of the best festival experiences of the year for its 20th anniversary outing.

With headliners Ed Sheeran, The Scorpions, Evanescence, Calum Scott, and Lukas Graham, as well as a huge lineup of other artists like Jake Bugg, Extreme, and Carolina de Deus, it was decidedly a destination for English music lovers despite its Portuguese flare and perfect (not very British) weather.

The festival’s second weekend, June 22 and 23, has an even better lineup in store, with Doja Cat, Jonas Brothers, Macklemore, Camila Cabello, and Ne-Yo all set to take the stage – and there are still tickets available.

And if you miss out this year, you can look out for the festival’s return to Lisbon in 2025, which is sure to be even bigger and better.

A zipline carried festival goers over the crowd and main stage (Picture: Beatriz Cardoso)

Best of all, at just £70 for a day ticket, it’s affordable. Flights from London to Lisbon cost about £200 round trip on budget airlines (less if you plan in advance) and accommodation for two nights costs as little as £50 a night in Lisbon, putting the overall cost of the trip (minus food and drink) at under £400.

In contrast, just the ticket alone to Glastonbury costs £400, and that’s not including the train to the festival site or the camping supplies. A train from London to Castle Cary (the closest stop to the festival) costs £27 to £64, and if you’re coming from as far as Manchester you’re looking at more like £130 to £300.

Given Rock In Rio’s location, you’re also much more likely to get a warm, sunny holiday – and you won’t have to deal with those dreaded campsite toilets.

Evanescence had everyone on their feet with a magnificent rendition of Bring Me to Life (Picture: Rock In Rio)

The festival grounds, which were brand new this year, were not only easily accessible from Lisbon but also an attraction unto themselves. Nicknamed the City of Rock, the grounds featured countless vendors and activities all overlooking the Tagus river. 

The event was hosted for the first time this year in the 80,000 capacity Parque Tejo Lisboa, which marks a change from its usual venue, Parque da Bela Vista.

Originally built for a visit from the Pope, the grounds are a dream for a festival organiser, with a slight slope towards the river creating natural stadium seating that allows the main stage to be seen easily from anywhere.

The Ferris wheel overlooking the festival grounds was a major draw for fans (Picture: Afonso Batista)

Singer Calum Scott was moved to tears during his performance at the festival (Picture: Samwell)

The festival offered music for fans of a variety of genres (Picture: Hugo Moreira)

The beautiful Portuguese weather made it a sunny occasion (Picture: Samwell)

The first Rock In Rio Lisbon was thrown in 2004 as a spinoff from the original Rock In Rio Festival, which has been a major attraction in the Brazilian city since 1985. Offshoot events have also taken place in Madrid, most recently in 2012, and Las Vegas, the last of which was in 2015.

Previous artists to have played at Rock In Rio events include: Drake, Justin Bieber, Jason Derulo, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, AC/DC, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Rihanna, Metallica, Bon Jovi, Shakira, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and just about every other major rock star you can think of.

For those in the know, Rock In Rio festivals are unmissable.

Impressive fireworks displays closed out each nights shows (Picture: Samwell)

One veteran music journalist, Mark Beaumont, was quick to share with Metro.co.uk that he has been to almost every iteration of the festival since he first discovered them in 2019. That’s how certain he is that Rock In Rio is the best-run event of its kind in the world.

The Ferris wheel and zipline sent guests flying high over the main stage (Calum Scott laughed with glee the first time it happened during his set), making it clear that organisers are devoted to making audience members’ entire experience as memorable as possible.

While festivals like Glastonbury and Coachella seem to give off an air of ‘you’re just lucky to be here,’ Rock in Rio felt like it was eager to impress its audiences and create an environment all about the joy of music.

Ed Sheeran closed the final night of the festival with an electric performance (Picture: Helena Yoshioka)

At one point during Sheeran’s set the crowd raised their phone torches (Picture: Helena Yoshioka)

In fact, while you can’t even get a water bottle at a UK festival without a hefty price tag, there seemed to be vendors passing out free snacks and prizes everywhere you turned in the City of Rock. 

The performances themselves showcased the iconic line-up of artists at their best, with the high-tech stages allowing the musicians to truly create spectacles rather than simply play sets.

Ed Sheeran’s performance was particularly noteworthy. The Shape of You singer played a mix of his greatest hits and selections from his early albums, thrilling the diehard fans in the crowd.

Sheeran played a memorable mix of songs to the massive crowd (Picture: Rita Seixas)

Free to play for the joy of it without the pressure of an overly publicised set, he rapped as much as he sang, reminding fans of the unique appeal that made him famous in the first place.

The artist, who usually comes off as polished if not particularly magnetic, seemed to be genuinely having a blast.

Perhaps the most iconic moment came at the end of his set – which he played on the stunning main stage, surrounded by screens and backdropped by the iconic 25th of April bridge – when a fireworks display to rival any Fifth of November event sent the crowd into almost hysterical cheering. 

The singer grinned, his face red and sweaty, as he told the thousands of faces smiling back at him that this is exactly why he loves Portugal. 

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