The 17th edition of the NOS Alive festival introduces a significant expansion: “The Heineken stage, along with its tent, has increased substantially, allowing more people to enjoy the concerts everyone wants to see,” reported promoter Álvaro Covões during a site visit today.
Over the years, the NOS Alive venue has expanded its facilities. Covões expressed a desire for continued infrastructure growth, provided there is more physical land available, rather than increasing attendee capacity.
Covões mentioned a potential future development project at the Passeio Marítimo de Algés, which aims to reclaim land from the river, possibly freeing up space for large events.
In its 17th year, the festival will feature seven stages hosting 122 performances from 112 artists and bands, including 31 Portuguese acts, which is a source of pride for the festival’s organizers.
Among the lineup, Covões highlighted the sold-out Thursday, headlined on the main stage by Olivia Rodrigo, Benson Boone, Noah Kahan, and Mark Ambor, among others performing on various stages.
The festival’s final day, nearly sold out, features headliners Muse, also emphasized by Covões. The promoter also mentioned Foster The People, Glass Animals, and Future Islands, along with Portuguese acts like Capicua, Iolanda, and Cebola Mol, reflecting his personal taste.
The diverse lineup also includes Parov Stelar, Nathy Peluso, Nine Inch Nails, Bright Eyes, and many more, covering genres from pop to fado.
Aside from music, the festival includes a Comedy stage and aims to incorporate Theatre, Dance, and Literature in the future. “We might be the first major festival with a dedicated Comedy stage and a Fado stage. We dream of including Theatre, Dance, and Literature, but space limits us. One day, we hope to achieve this,” Covões stated.
He emphasized the importance of introducing Theatre and Literature to festivals, describing the latter as “wonderful, the joy of reading books.” He advocated for Dance, noting its underrepresentation in Portugal.
The venue, open daily from 15:00 to 04:00, can host up to 56,000 attendees, with an additional 6,000 staff and journalists. Public transportation is recommended for access.
This year, single-day tickets, available for Friday and Saturday, are priced at 84 euros. Three-day passes are sold out, but two-day passes for Friday and Saturday remain at 168 euros. Passes for the other combinations, Thursday-Friday and Thursday-Saturday, are sold out.
