The last day of Rock in Rio, after Coldplay’s historic close on Saturday, was marked by an audience that came to see divas: pop divas like Dua Lipa and Ivete Sangalo; rap, like Megan Thee Stallion; and funk, like Ludmilla. Seven days of performances and 700,000 admissions later, the festival ended the pandemic-enforced fast and left the mark of greater openness to other musical genres, pointing to an increasingly eclectic future. And already with an eye on the next release, whether it’s codenamed The Town, in São Paulo next year, or in Rio de Janeiro two years from now, see below what worked and which didn’t work in this edition.

Rock in Rio 2024: fans speculate on the possible artists of the next edition

It went well

It’s Crowded: One innovation that helped the public get out of the grip was a digital signage installed on the bathroom door, showing capacity at all times. You could see him from afar and run to the most unoccupied toilets.

Diversity: The variety that manifested itself on the stages was accompanied by the cohabitation between the different audiences on the synthetic turf between the stages. Perfect harmony between the different tribes.

The samba on the move: With Maria Rita on the Mundo stage, Jorge Aragão at the Gilsons show at Sunset, or even Ferrugem at the Espaço Favela, the genre has secured its place at the festival, in harmony with hegemonic rock and pop.

VIP Backstage: One of the most popular spaces at the festival, the Sunset backstage has become a darling of artists and celebrities alike for accompanying presentations or socializing.

Parallel attractions: Brand activation spaces attracted audiences with giveaways and the presence of artists and influencers. Event sensation TikTok lounge hosted Måneskin and featured a show by Marvvila.

Wristbands: Of all the unforgettable things about the Coldplay show, one of the main highlights of this edition was the light-up wristbands flashing in different colors. According to the organization, 100,000 were distributed, creating a dramatic effect. It is an image that will remain in memory.

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it went wrong

Lack of synchronization: The punctuality of the shows, a positive point of this edition, only suffered from the overlapping of certain attractions. At the Avril Lavigne show, which started late, the last song (“I’m with you”) was crushed by the start of Fall Out Boy. In the tribute to Elza Soares, the musicians were on stage when Ivete Sangalo was already singing “Tempo de Joy”.

Erratic sound: Speaking of Avril Lavigne, the Canadian show brought up another of the biggest criticisms of the edition: weak sound or with technical problems. The situation improved during the second weekend, but was still criticized by the public.

Cash only: One of the most frequently asked questions at Cidade do Rock was “Do you accept credit cards?” to beer sellers, followed by the invariable negative. When you saw someone accepting the photos, the emotion was almost the same as Coldplay’s Chris Martin on stage.

Bad Smell: Digital technology has made toilet flushing easier, but it hasn’t eliminated the long queues at the women’s washroom or the strong smell of urine that drifted outside the premises.

Position of Supernova: Scene of interesting and disputed shows, Supernova lives a dilemma: at the same time as it makes it possible to take the public to the most distant wing of the festival, the distance slows down the frequentation of its attractions. A riddle to solve in 2024.

Fireworks: A tradition at the end of headlining shows, fireworks may have caused mishaps with the audience. One person was treated for a bleeding head after Green Day, and there were reports on social media of similar situations. Contacted, the organization did not respond.