Rock in Rio XI Returns September With Elton John, Maroon 5, and K-Pop's Stray Kids

One of the biggest music festivals in the world has its 2026 lineup. Rock in Rio XI returns to Cidade do Rock (City of Rock / Olympic Park) for seven non-consecutive days — September 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, and 13. The 2026 headliners include Elton John, Maroon 5, Jamiroquai, Demi Lovato, Mumford & Sons, and Brazilian favorites Gilberto Gil and João Gomes.

A historic first: Stray Kids will become the first K-pop act ever to perform at Rock in Rio, taking the main stage on September 11 alongside Brazilian-Korean collaboration fixtures DJ Alok and rapper-singer Hwasa. The festival's annual tradition of cross-genre curation — rock, pop, electronic, Brazilian tropicalia, global crossover — remains one of the strongest at any major music festival.

If you're going: Cidade do Rock is in Rio's west zone (Barra da Tijuca area), accessible via dedicated festival transport from central Rio. Multi-day passes sell first. Book lodging well in advance — Rock in Rio fills Rio's hotel inventory for nearly two weeks.

Sources: Rock in Rio, Billboard Brasil