Rio de Janeiro, Sep 26: The Rock in Rio music festival has returned to Brazil.
During its opening weekend, more than two-hundred thousand fans gathered to see Katy Perry, Rihanna, Elton John and Red Hot Chilli Peppers among others.
The playful Perry was the first headliner to take the main stage Friday night (23 Sept. 2011), performing hits like “I Kissed A Girl” and “Firework.”
Elton John, Rihanna and Brazilian pop star Claudia Leitte also performed on the festival's opening day.
Leitte told AP Television it was an “obvious” choice to hold the festival in Brazil once again and said she hopes audiences will leave the Rock City complex “mesmerized.”
Other artists scheduled to take the Rock in Rio stage include Metallica, Guns n' Roses, Stevie Wonder, Coldplay and Shakira.
According to organizers, all seven-hundred thousand tickets were sold for the seven-day festival.
Rock in Rio began in Rio de Janeiro in January 1985.
The military dictatorship that had governed Brazil for two decades had just ended, and 1.4 million people showed up to celebrate their newfound freedom at a concert that brought international attractions like Queen and AC/DC to the South American country for the first time.
It was held twice more in Rio before moving to Portugal and Spain, where six festivals were held between 2004 and 2010.
Rio de Janeiro is scheduled to host the next two Rock in Rio festivals in 2013 and 2015. Rock in Rio 2011 runs until October 2nd. AP
