acts such as queen, george benson, ac/dc, and rod stewart played at the inaugural event in rio de janeiro, 1985. 

over the years the event has evolved and mimic its carioca roots as being receptive to a variety of genres - the festival has branched out to other musical styles such as pop, electronic and hip hop aside from the wide range of subgenres within rock that it already offers such as heavy metal, alternative and classical.

performers belonging to these genres that have made a mark in rio are rihanna, sam smith, katy perry, shakira, beyoncé, david guetta, justin timberlake and alicia keys, to name a few.

the event is usually hosted during the month of september at the city of rock in jacarepaguá - for more information about tickets and specifics about the event, it is best to visit the official website.