Rock in Rio Card 2026 goes on sale today, 7 p.m., via Ticketmaster Brazil, with no service fees and exclusive Rio benefits.
Advance ticket and high demand expected
Rio de Janeiro, December 9, 2025 – Sales for the Rock in Rio Card, the advance ticket that guarantees entry for one festival day before the full line-up is announced, open this Tuesday at 7 p.m.. Purchases will be available exclusively through the Ticketmaster Brasil website. Organizers recommend that fans register in advance to speed up the checkout process once sales begin.
Fans are reminded that planning is essential. In the 2024 edition, when Rock in Rio celebrated its 40th anniversary, the 180,000 Cards made available sold out in just 2 hours and 4 minutes. Buyers came from all Brazilian states and 28 countries, while another 460,000 people remained in the virtual queue when sales ended.
Festival dates, announced acts and new features
The 2026 edition will take place at the City of Rock, in Rio’s Olympic Park, on September 4, 5, 6, 7 and 11, 12, 13. Artists already confirmed include Elton John, Stray Kids, Maroon 5, Demi Lovato, Gilberto Gil, Jamiroquai, Mumford & Sons and João Gomes and Orquestra Brasileira. Additional names will be revealed over the coming months.
The iconic Palco Mundo (World Stage) will feature an entirely new design. For the first time, the entire front structure will be covered with 2,400 m² of ultra high-definition LED panels, turning it into a single, massive visual canvas. Another highlight is the return of the aerial show The Flight, with synchronized acrobatic maneuvers, a custom soundtrack and 756 daytime fireworks.
How the Rock in Rio Card works
The Rock in Rio Card guarantees entry to one festival day in the Gramado (general admission) area, with free circulation and access to all stages and attractions. At a later date, buyers will have an exclusive time window to choose which festival day to attend, with guaranteed availability during that period. Each Card grants a single entry.
For the 2026 edition, prices are set at R$ 795 (full), R$ 397.50 (half-price) and R$ 675.75 (Itaú Ticket for purchases made with credit cards issued by Itaú Unibanco). There is no service fee. Payments can be made via credit card or PIX.
Customers paying with Itaú Unibanco credit cards receive a 15% discount (not cumulative with half-price benefits) and may split the purchase into up to 8 interest-free installments. For other accepted credit cards, payment can be split into up to 6 interest-free installments. International cards do not offer installment options.
For PIX payments, a QR Code is generated on the final checkout screen, and the buyer has 10 minutes to complete the transfer. Tickets are only guaranteed and issued after payment confirmation.
Purchase limits and half-price rules
Each individual taxpayer ID (CPF) may purchase up to 4 Rock in Rio Cards, with a maximum of 1 half-price ticket within this total. People with Disabilities may select, in addition to their own ticket, 1 extra half-price ticket for a companion, still respecting the limit of four Cards per CPF.
PCD customers must provide documentation details during the online purchase and present proof at the festival entrance. By law, half-price tickets are available to students, people under 21, seniors over 60, people with disabilities and one companion, teachers and education professionals in Rio de Janeiro, low-income youth and municipal street-cleaning workers (garis).
The festival’s age rating is 16 years. Attendees under 16 must be accompanied by parents or legal guardians. Full details on eligibility and required documents are available on Ticketmaster’s official help channels.
“Viva o Rio com o Rock in Rio”: year-round city benefits
Card holders will also access the “Viva o Rio com o Rock in Rio” program, which offers exclusive advantages in tourist attractions, hotels and experiences throughout the year. From December 2025 to October 2026, buyers can check a dedicated area on the festival’s website for updated offers from partners such as Visit Rio, HotéisRIO, ABIH-RJ and TurisRio.
The initiative coincides with a favorable calendar, as nine out of ten national holidays in 2026 will fall on weekdays, including New Year’s Eve, Carnival, Easter and the long weekend of September 7, which overlaps with the first festival weekend. The idea is to encourage visitors to extend their stay in Rio.
Partner offers include attractions like Parque Bondinho (Sugarloaf), Paineiras Corcovado (Christ the Redeemer), BioParque do Rio, AquaRio, Rio Scenarium, Flamengo Museum, YupStar, Rio Boat Tour, Maracanã Tour, Carnaval Experience, Vertical Rio, Roxy Dinner, Jeep Tour, Blue Note and Helisight. Hotel deals via HotéisRIO and ABIH-RJ include properties such as Arena Ipanema Hotel, Arena Leme Hotel, Radisson Rio de Janeiro Barra and Hotel Pousada Brava Club.
Festival organizers stress that each partner defines specific terms and conditions for redeeming benefits. Visitors should review these details before booking or visiting attractions to make full use of the offers.
Optional donations to social and environmental causes
During checkout, buyers may choose to make optional donations to three organizations: Gerando Falcões, Ação Cidadania and Instituto Socioambiental (ISA). Contributions are voluntary and free of additional service fees. Fans can donate to one, two or all three institutions, selecting individual amounts for each.
Available donation values are R$ 15, R$ 30, R$ 50 and R$ 100, added to the ticket total at payment. Those who prefer not to donate during purchase can support the organizations later through their official channels. The initiative broadens the festival’s social impact beyond the City of Rock.
Gerando Falcões works to overcome poverty in Brazilian favelas by accelerating the work of grassroots leaders and NGOs, with programs like Favela 3D and Falcons University. Ação Cidadania, created 32 years ago by sociologist Betinho, is one of the country’s largest hunger and inequality relief movements, known for campaigns such as Natal Sem Fome.
The Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) has spent three decades working alongside Indigenous peoples, quilombola communities and other traditional groups. Its projects focus on territorial protection, cultural strengthening and climate mitigation in the Amazon, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest. Through these partnerships, Rock in Rio links entertainment to social and environmental action.
Rock in Rio’s legacy and global footprint
Conceived by Roberto Medina, Rock in Rio began preparations in 1984 and debuted in 1985 in Jacarepaguá. Over ten days, 1.38 million people attended shows on what was then the world’s largest stage. The festival put Brazil on the map for major international music events.
Since then, Rock in Rio has expanded to host editions in Lisbon, Madrid and Las Vegas, while maintaining Rio de Janeiro as its symbolic home. Across 24 editions, more than 12.3 million visitors have attended the City of Rock and watched over 4,667 performances in 141 days of festival.
The festival has generated over 297,600 direct and indirect jobs and, in 2024 alone, produced an economic impact of R$ 2.9 billion in Rio de Janeiro. Rock in Rio has been carbon neutral since 2006, holds the ISO 20121 sustainable events certification and, together with partners, has invested more than R$ 118 million in projects related to sustainability, education, music and forest conservation, including the planting of over 4 million trees in the Amazon.
Recognized in 2022 as an intangible cultural heritage of the state of Rio de Janeiro, the festival now works toward ambitious 2030 goals aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The brand’s guiding purpose is to help build a better world, with happier, more confident and empathetic people on a healthier planet.
