The first edition of The citySão Paulo brother of Rock in Rio At the Interlagos circuit it was concluded with a positive artistic balance and an irregular logistical balance. As the days go by September 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 9th and 10th, Pop, Rock, Funk, R&B, Soul, Trap and MPB were on stage sometimes simultaneously. There was a spectacle for everyone: for so many people that the structure of the festival could not always cope well with the flow of 100,000 visitors per day.
Organization was chaotic on the opening day and improved on the second weekend, but there were still flaws. Complaints about grocery shopping, boarding and disembarking, and even the layout of the stages came in daily. One day, an express event bus caught fire; in another it was a kiosk both without injuries.
With so many brand, store and “experience” activations, The Town was like any big festival these days, a big mall with music. Even before giving the audience time to reflect on the festival, the production confirmed the return of The Town to the city for its second edition in 2025 this Sunday 10th.
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Whatever happens, the mall will reopen and despite the obstacles, it has the potential to become the “Rock in Rio de São Paulo” with improvements, given the experience of Roberto Medina, the creator of the Rio de Janeiro festival in the Year 1985, consider and The Town in 2023.
In any case, the music benefited those who came: there were many excellent shows from artists of all sizes.
As with Rock In Rio, there was a general feeling that the national lineup was not beholden to the international one; In fact, it often outperformed foreigners. However, the order of the shows and the stage layout were not favorable for some attractions. It became clear that the headliner title doesn’t mean that much: with big forces, artists don’t always understand that they have a lot of responsibility.
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But once the headliners nailed their roles, it was worth the wait. Watch the best and worst shows in the world The city assisted by Estadaoaccording to the reviews published during the event:
THE 10 BEST SHOWS IN THE CITY
1 Bruno Mars (twice)
Postcommercial continuationBruno Mars performed at the first edition of The Town in São Paulo; The show took place on Sunday evening, 3 o’clock. Photo: Daniel Ramos/The Town
Even taller than six years ago when he was last in Brazil, Bruno Mars arrived, confirmed by superlatives: the only artist to be cast twice and on the best days of the season; highest fee ever paid by businessman Roberto Medina (calculates all attractions of the nine editions of Rock In Rio in Brazil and another ten abroad); and attraction where tickets sold out the fastest.
The big performance by “Bruninho”, as he called himself in Portuguese, still had a surprise in store. Mars’ keyboardist plays Evidências, known as Chitãozinho and Xororó (with the presence of Xororó in the second show), making the audience sing from start to finish. He ends his lengthy solo session and calls the band back for Locked Out of Heaven and Just The Way You Are. He comes back and ends with Uptown Funk! Mars can do whatever he pleases, partly through exclusion and partly through sheer talent, making him one of the best artists of his generation. And he delivered the best show at this festival twice. READ MORE ABOUT THE BRUNO MARS SHOW IN TOWN
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Perhaps this is the first time at a festival that the attention is focused more on the drummer than on the singer himself. Josh Freese: As a studio musician, 50 years old, son of a conductor of a Disneyland band, Freese had his first test this Saturday evening, the 9th, in front of the Brazilians, alongside the Foo Fighters. The chair he occupied is expensive: Taylor Hawkins, one of rock’s most virtuoso drummers, sat there for 23 years, between 1997 and 2022.
The death of Hawkins, also 50, precocious and tragic, which occurred on the eve of a concert in Brazil (at Lollapalooza in 2022), caused shock and concern among fans. Because what would the band be, especially without Hawkins’ powerful right hand? Would it be the same Foo Fighters (where lead singer Dave Grohl was already on drums)?
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At exactly 11 p.m., Freese’s battery began answering these questions precisely. A thunderous solo with Grohl’s guitar to start All My Life. A lot of pressure, as if they were tearing down a steel wall together. READ MORE ABOUT THE FOO FIGHTERS SHOW IN THE CITY
Continued after promoting Pabllo Vittar in his show at The Town Festival on September 10, 2023 Photo: Taba Benedicto/Estadão
Playing with a band different from the one he was used to, Pabllo Vittar played a show (perhaps the most important of them) at The Town this Sunday the 10th that will define his career. The songs already known to fans were given further arrangements so that saxophone and guitar solos were part of the songs. And the change was huge.
Pabllo seemed very comfortable with the band. Because that’s how it finally became so well known. In 2017, the drag queen was a singer in the band of the TV Globo show Amor e Sexo. And a year later he left the company to pursue a solo career. Today she has her own band.
“With or without a band, I am the show,” Pabllo shouted at the end of his talk. Given her fame and the size of the audience watching her, that may indeed have been the feeling. But not completely. The value the band placed on the performance is priceless. READ MORE ABOUT PABLLO VITTARS SHOW IN THE CITY
Singer Iza during her concert at The Town Festival on September 10, 2023 Photo: Taba Benedicto/Estadão
Citing her black heritage, Iza was the first attraction on the Skyline stage this Sunday the 10th, the final day of the 1st edition of The Town. As always, showed his mix of pop, R&B and funk.
Happy and confident, Iza left the center of the stage and walked around the sides to get closer to the audience after the first wardrobe change. Clearly, Beyoncé continues to be an inspiration (not only to her, but also to several other Brazilian singers during the festival). And that’s good. With Talismã, one of his biggest hits, he raised the spirits of the audience. He shouted a dirty word and then called the rapper Djonga with whom he sang Sintonitsa.
“Fire the Racists” appeared on screen after Djonga wrote his manifesto.
In a wellstructured script, he added Fé. “Faith to face these sons of…” the lyrics read. Iza seemed to know very well what she wanted and what she was doing on stage. Owner of yourself. READ MORE ABOUT IZA’S SHOW IN THE CITY
People 40 years old and older may be frightened when someone 25 years old or younger says that NeYo is nostalgic, that NeYo reminds you of childhood, that NeYo is an uncle. This kind of neonostalgia or postflashback, a longing not for artists of the 70s or 80s as we are used to, but for sounds of the 2000s, is the glaring sign of something nonnegotiable: time passes and the indifference of some can become the most affective nostalgia of others.
The show wowed many 25yearolds and younger with Miss Independent, She Knows and most notably So Sick, the newest old pop songs. NeYo’s nostalgic dance surrounded by three exuberant dancers reaches a peak midshow, and things pick up from there. Whether NeYo will be obliterated by the years or by what he’s said offstage, we don’t know. But if you don’t preserve the affective memory you begin to create in the hearts of your fans, it could turn into trauma. READ MORE ABOUT NEYO’S SHOW IN THE CITY
Post Malone at The Town Photo: TABA BENEDICTO / Estadão
Post Malone A year after his appearance at Rock in Rio, he returned to Brazil. There he showed a lot of charisma alone on stage and used the resources of AutoTune. Now he had some kind of debt to pay. Would you do another show alone on a huge stage like Skyline? No, he brought the band, a big band, with a huge drummer, a violinist, a cellist, guitars and a bass. Post talks a lot to the audience, dances awkwardly and uses a lot of charisma. He’s a good guy on stage, perhaps even more so than in the repertoire, but he has a lot of loyal fans who don’t budge from the stage. He wears the Brazil jersey and performs his cheerful hits. He called a fan named Daniel Sasha Meneguel’s brotherinlaw onto the stage and asked him to play guitar. READ MORE ABOUT THE POST MALONE SHOW ON THE TOWN
Ney Matogrosso at The Town Photo: Taba Benedicto / Estadão
While the day before Ney had taken part in the confusing light show that revived the opening of “Rock in Rio” in 1985 and sang “South America”, on the day of his appearance he performed a part of the show that was more confident and relaxed Bloco na Rua was launched in 2019 and was resumed after the pandemic. The 82yearold Ney sings songs like Sangue Latino and Pavão Mysterioso, in a sophisticated script that allows the singer to show what he loves to do: sing with vocal excellence. Ney, one of the country’s first pop/rock artists, pioneer on several issues including politics, for which he says he has “no patience”, deserved to open the 1st edition, and was now the right choice for The One Stage at the premiere. READ MORE ABOUT NEY MATOGROSSO’S SHOW ON THE TOWN
Ludmilla performed on The Town’s Skyline stage. Photo: Taba Benedicto/Estadão
According to rumors, Ludmilla would give one of the best shows of her career, after all, the investment was R$ 3 million a million more than the Rock in Rio show, which was considered the best of the entire event. The singer performed funk, vocal and piano versions, R&B, pagoda and even danced to reggae. The mix of styles was also evident in the singer’s clear inspiration from international artists. But the best part of her show was when she reminisced about her old hits or sang the famous Numanice Pagodas and allowed herself to be herself, without Beyoncé hats or Rosalíastyle pranks on the camera.
In a great moment of the show, the singer performed accompanied by Lulu Santos. Together they sang Toda Forma de Amor, a song by Lulu. Lud ended his show with the energy he promised. He sang old hits, danced, interacted with the audience and walked the runway a lot. The party had actually arrived. Or rather, the favela. Favela Arrival closed the artist’s exhibition. READ MORE ABOUT LUDMILLA’S SHOW IN THE CITY
The show also had a faux pas: Ludmilla recommended loan sharks to her fans, corrected herself and praised her sponsor bank UNDERSTAND
Jão in the city Photo: Taba Benedicto/Estadão
The giant dragon John on stage was the greatest symbol of a day that highlighted the success of a Brazilian pop generation that is not afraid to take itself seriously. The singer, who has been giving soldout concerts all over Brazil for years, shows more and more power over the audience at every major festival. She was a surprise at Lollapalooza, she juggled at Rock in Rio and now she impressed at The Town.
It is said that he took six truckloads of stage equipment and accredited one hundred people from his team for the festival. It capped a day full of great productions from Iza, Pabllo Vittar and Gloria Groove, not to mention Ludmilla and Luísa Sonza in previous days. None of them are ashamed to be pretentious and pile on references, dramatic titles, pompous videos, elaborate choreography, etc.
“I feel very lost without you,” he said. “I hope that today you feel respected and loved for who you really are and that this is a safe place for you.” Jão is even more confident and free at the same time on stage. READ MORE ABOUT JÃO’S SHOW IN THE CITY
Luísa Sonza at The Town Photo: Taba Benedicto / Estadão
After a phenomenal debut with her latest album “Escândalo Íntimo” on Spotify it surpassed 8 million streams in 13 hours Luísa Sonza previously put on a show worthy of a final festival. This proved the capacity of the Skyline stage lawn. Not even the strong sun could make people stay away from each other or stop dancing. The message that remains is that after a year of the singer’s discovery with herself, in which she was able to explore her traumas, loves and inspirations be it rhythm or artists like Marília, Rita Lee and Ludmila Luisa embraced herself. with all facets. That’s why his development is so remarkable. READ MORE ABOUT LUÍSA SONZA’S SHOW IN THE CITY
The 4 worst shows in town
With a voice weaker than usual, Adam Levin It doesn’t prove much. But he picks up the pedestal, runs across the stage, punches the air and yells “Love Somebody”. Then there’s his band’s full dedication to the riffheavy Harder to Breathe. These are wellmeaning rock acts who can’t always resist the temptation of a pop star. Sunday morning, sweet and beachy, I can tell you that.
He comes to Girls Like You without having much of a connection with the audience, without for a moment justifying the fact that he’s slated to headline a festival the size of The Town. The band left the stage with two songs remaining: She Will Be Loved and Sugar. There was a somewhat awkward silence and many people made their way to exit the Interlagos circuit. But the band came back, Adam was now wearing the jersey of the Brazilian national team, and they made some acoustic noises. He sang She Will Be Loved with vocals and guitar and tried to top it off with an unexpected appearance from the band on the chorus. It was just rescued by Sugar.
There was no show. People no longer leave the house just to listen to music. That’s what Spotify is for. One could even argue that there were shows on this list that were just as weak or weaker than theirs. But none of them were headlining the festival with any particular responsibility. READ MORE ABOUT MAROON 5’S SHOW IN THE TOWN
Despite the typical elements of a pop show the essential combination of dancers, leotards and lights Iggy Azalea He delivered a performance that wowed fans but was unforgettable. The rapper has compiled a sequence of not very wellknown songs, interspersed with some hits, without changes or news that could entertain the audience for a long time. She is visibly suspended between “pop diva” and “rapper” without getting enough for one or the other. The rain didn’t help and the artist herself said it was a tiring and chaotic show. But if she had something special prepared, none of it appeared on the biggest stage of the event.
Iggy praised Brazil a lot, but didn’t do the country justice. It’s no exaggeration to say that the Australian was behind national rappers like Tasha and Tracie and Karol Conká, who delivered a richer show for a much smaller audience on the same day. (Dora Guerra)
Kim Petras at The Town Photo: Taba Benedicto/Estadão
The 31yearold German singer has an interesting and promising work of electronic pop that takes up the avantgarde sound of late hyperpop SOPHIE, with which he has already worked, to a less chaotic and more commercial side. In short, she may be good, but she sucked at the show early Sunday night on The Town’s main stage. Kim sang her songs in the background, standing at the front and swinging one arm freely while she lipsynched the microphone with the other hand.
It was made more difficult by light rain and the comparison with the show on the side stage Pablo Vittar, inversely proportional to artistic, personal and financial commitment. The four dancers and a platform on which she paced up and down without knowing what to do above or below are not nearly enough to justify the morality of her position in the lineup.
On a day when Brazilian artists put in so much effort, this foreign trickery became even uglier. Not even the good bases and supersensual verses of tracks like “XXX” or the megahit “Unholy,” which won her and Sam Smith a Grammy, stopped most of the audience from following the show with a question mark. (Rodrigo Ortega)
Alok’s show on The Town’s main stage mixed “MPB Good Vibes” with electronica and rushed snippets of poprock hits. It was more than just music, it was fireworks and even drones that made the singer’s mark in the sky.
He repeated the call for last year’s Lollapalooza show at the same Interlagos Circuit and reportedly broke the record for laser lights at a show. Alok, in turn, used his talent in Brazilian bass to move less towards Brazilian, a little towards bass and even with momentum towards show. The show with motivational quotes and fastpaced hits by Alok ended up being the best amusement park ride of the festival. READ MORE ABOUT ALOK IN THE TOWN SHOW
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