Since its first edition in 1985, Rock in Rio has had historic performances starring women, and 2022 will be no different.
This year, as one of the world's largest music and entertainment festivals, Rock in Rio announced a day dedicated to celebrating female power in the history of music on Sept. 11. The content will not be limited to a single stage, and the program, which will bring all the representation, will cover the major stages: Main, Sunset, New Dance Order, and Favela Stages.
Some of the biggest women artists have joined the 2022 Rock in Rio lineup and will make the date even more powerful. Megan Thee Stallion, Rita Ora, and Dua Lipa are new names on the Main Stage and will make their debut at the festival and in Brazil. The Sunset Stage, scene of the biggest gatherings in the City of Rock, will host a memorable and surely exciting show, POWER: Elza Lives! — a tribute to Elza Soares, with Alcione, Majur, Agnes Nunes, Caio Prado, Mart'nália, Gaby Amarantos, and Larissa Luz. To open the day, the Sunset Stage will welcome the empowering Liniker and Luedji Luna, who together will deliver an impressive performance.
"Women have always been present in the decisive moments of the festival's history and the lineup of Sept. 11 is a natural consequence of that, a tribute to all those who passed through our stages,” says Roberta Medina, executive vice president of Rock in Rio.
“Having a full day dedicated to the female presence is a way to reinforce and celebrate all the power, diversity, and inspiration that women represent in music. As a festival that aims to be 100% accessible, inclusive and pluralistic, an all-female day is completely aligned with our purpose of building a better world."
Medina added that "the festival is built by a majority of women backstage and 65% of the leadership positions in the company are held by women. This is definitely a differentiator in the music industry."
Of the entire Rock in Rio Brazil staff, 63% are women and Roberta Medina, as executive vice president, leads Rock in Rio Lisbon, in addition to projects such as For a Better World, responsible for all actions and events that have taken place at Rock in Rio in the past 21 years.
The Rock in Rio Lineup on Sept. 11
On the Main Stage, for the first time at the festival, the singer Dua Lipa will close the night of the last day of Rock in Rio. One of the most requested names by the public, the British singer released in 2020 the successful album Future Nostalgia. Highly revered by critics and audiences alike, the work earned her a Grammy in the "Best Pop Album" category, as well as the worldwide hit "Don't Start Now," which surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify and reached the second position on the Billboard Hot 100.
Hailing from Houston and making her debut in Brazil, Megan Thee Stallion is a Grammy-winning artist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and ever-evolving cultural icon. From the release of her critically acclaimed, gold-certified debut album, Good News, to setting two Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping world records with "Savage Remix" featuring Beyoncé and "WAP" featuring Cardi B, Megan has proven to be unstoppable. She has been recognized for her musical achievements with three Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, and nine BET Awards. She recently graduated from Texas Southern University in December 2021, earning her degree in health administration and with aspirations to open assisted living centers in her hometown.
Megan was also honored as one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2020. In October 2020, following a powerful, politically charged performance on Saturday Night Live in which she demanded justice for Breonna Taylor, Megan published her monumental op-ed "Why I Speak Up for Black Women" and an accompanying video in the New York Times.
Rita Ora is a critically acclaimed international singer-songwriter who holds the record for most UK singles for a British female artist, with four No. 1s and 13 top 10s, and she is one of the most-played female artists of the 21st century in the UK.
In 2021, she released the global collaboration Bang with Grammy-winning Kazakh DJ and record label producer Imanbek. Written and produced through Zoom by Rita and Imanbek and featuring David Guetta, Gunna, and Argentine rapper KHEA, the four-song EP is a mix of modern pop, ’80s and ’90s club culture, and floor-filling house. The EP is the follow-up to her album Phoenix, which has amassed over 4 billion streams worldwide, spawned three platinum singles and includes "Lonely Together," her collaboration with Avicii, which won the VMA for Best Dance at the MTV Video Music Awards.
In addition, her debut album, Ora, debuted at No. 1 on the UK charts and was certified platinum. Rita is also a multi-talented industry leader across television, culture, and fashion, with brand partnerships in key sectors. In 2019 she launched Prospero tequila with Conecuh Brands, where she serves as a senior creative partner. Currently, Rita is a panelist on British television's most successful entertainment show, The Masked Singer UK, and a judge on The Voice Australia, which is enjoying its largest audience in over five years. Her film credits include the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, Fast & Furious, Southpaw, POKÉMON Detective Pikachu, and Twist.
Ivete Sangalo will also be part of the lineup. The multifaceted singer is the face of Rock in Rio in Brazil and abroad. She is the only Brazilian artist to have performed at every edition of the festival since 2001 and will shake up the audience on another unforgettable night. With her new hits "Tá Solteira, Mas Não Tá Sozinha," "Não pode Parar," "O Mundo Vai," and "Dura na Queda," as well as the already well-known "Sorte Grande," "Acelera Aê," "Flor do Reggae," and "Abalou," the singer from Bahia will offer a show full of music, dance, and fun.
And powerful women will not be missing on the Sunset Stage: Ludmilla will be the first Brazilian headliner in the 10-year history of the stage. The singer will also bring all the symbolism of a Black woman from the outskirts of the city, who got her start in funk, to fill this slot. She will shake the audience with her hits "Rainha da Favela," "Deixa de Onda," "Invocada," "Verdinha," and "Hoje."
Macy Gray, considered one of the leading names in soul music and winner of the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, will perform for the first time at Rock in Rio. She will be headlining alongside Ludmilla.
And for those looking for a bit of nostalgia, emotion, and tribute, nothing is more appropriate than a show dedicated to the late queen of Black women singers in Brazil and owner of an incomparable and incomparable voice: Elza Soares, who passed away in January. She, who was on a throne on this same stage at Rock in Rio 2019 and was already preparing for the 2022 edition, will be venerated through performances by Alcione, Majur, Agnes Nunes, Mart'nália, Gaby Amarantos, Larissa Luz, and Caio Prado, who, in this context, participates in the show remembering the musical Elza, in which he made a special appearance. “An effeminate gay,” as he defines himself, the identitiy and power of which Elza was a big fan, Caio loves the feminine and sees himself as "one of the seven Elzas."
In charge of opening the Sunset Stage, Liniker will shake the audience with her songs that mix elements of Black music and soul with contemporary Brazilian language, with lyrics that talk about relationships and love. For this show, the São Paulo artist has invited singer-songwriter Luedji Luna to accompany her. Together, they will offer a performance full of representation and empowerment, with hits that will thrill the audience.
The New Dance Order and the Favela Stages will soon reveal their lineups. However, the organization has already announced that they will be made up of women.
Undoubtedly the presence of women on the stages of Rock in Rio is a reality that has passed from generation to generation.
Rock in Rio was created to give voice to a generation and promote unique and innovative experiences to its audience. In 1985, the event was responsible for placing Brazil on the international show business route. Breaking records with each edition and generating positive impacts in the cities where it is held, Rock in Rio established itself as the largest music and entertainment festival in the world. Aware of its influence, today Rock in Rio aims to build a better world for happier, safer, and more empathetic people on a healthier planet.
The festival's international project began in Portugal in 2004 (Lisbon), where the event never left. It then came to Spain (Madrid) and the United States (Las Vegas).
With an audience of more than 10 million people and 20 editions, Rock in Rio has always been committed to offering an unforgettable experience. Throughout its 35 years, Rock in Rio has embraced new trends in entertainment, making it more than just a festival, but a music theme park.