For the first time since its inception in 1985, "Rock in Rio" will be held in the United States, at the MGM Resorts Festival Grounds in Las Vegas. Fans can look forward to great music from some of the biggest names in the industry, including Metallica and Taylor Swift, during the second and third weekends of May next year.
The announcement was made by the vice president of "Rock in Rio," Roberta Medina, at an event at Times Square in New York last Friday.
Medina was quoted as saying, "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."
The annual music festival, which alternately holds events in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Portugal (Lisbon), and Spain (Madrid), will be held in a special area in Las Vegas called "City of Rock." The permanent open-air venue, currently in the works under the Rock in Rio organizers and Cirque de Soleil, is expected to be able to host as much as 85,000 people per day. It will occupy a total of 37 acres of open space and will have six stages, along with three "Rock Streets" with Brazil, U.K., and U.S. themes. According to Yahoo! Music, the primary stage will measure 262 feet long, and there will be a 600-foot zip line above it, and the venue will feature a giant Ferris wheel.
Medina continues, "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."
Artists who are already confirmed to join the festival aside from Taylor Swift and Metallica include No Doubt, Linkin Park, Deftones, and John Legend. More solo artists and bands are expected to join the lineup in the next few months. The event will feature Weekend Rock on Friday and Saturday, May 8 and 9, and Weekend Pop the following Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16.
Pre-sale tickets for the 2015 Rock in Rio USA music festival are now available.
