At the end of October, the festival calendar leaves the city and climbs the mountains. The 13th edition takes over the Parque Municipal Prefeito Paulo Rattes, in Itaipava, across two weekends.
The festival brings together Brazilian music, international acts, food, art installations and activities spread across a large green area. Anitta, Jorge Ben Jor, Ivete Sangalo, M.I.A. and Jorja Smith are among the main names confirmed.
The line-up runs through samba, funk, rap, pop, MPB, axé, forró, rock and electronic music.
Rock the Mountain takes place in Itaipava, a district of Petrópolis in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro state. The landscape, the climate and the park's open layout all help build the festival's identity.
The format offers two chances to catch the line-up. The first weekend is already sold out. Tickets for the second are still available through Sympla, according to an update published on 17 September by Billboard Brasil.
Tickets are sold as a pass, with access to the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the weekend chosen.
The artistic selection brings historic names of Brazilian music together with artists driving the contemporary scene.
Anitta returns to the festival after her appearance in 2024. Ivete arrives with a repertoire that gathers axé, pop, samba and songs that crossed into the country's popular culture.
Jorge Ben Jor completes the group with songs that helped shape Brazil's sound. The three were confirmed as headliners in the August update, reported by CNN Brasil.
The meeting brings together accordion, guitar, forró, MPB and readings of much-loved repertoires. The voices and experience of the three artists create a set with an intimate feel inside a large-scale festival.
The project's presence also shows the room Rock the Mountain makes for special collaborations and ideas developed outside the traditional concert format.
Each space has a language of its own. The main stages concentrate the artists with the widest reach, while smaller settings present DJs, samba circles, bands, independent projects and specific sound experiences.
That spread makes it possible to build a different route through the day. You can start at an MPB set, move on to a samba circle, find a new artist at the Coreto and end the night at the Magic Disco.
The official Rock the Mountain site also says the festival will have a food court, a Ferris wheel, a zip line and art installations.
The visual identity takes over the whole park. Sets, interventions, clothes, accessories and installations help turn the event into a meeting of music, art and attitude.
The audience takes part in that too. Outfits tend to follow the mountain weather, the chance of rain, the long walks and the time spent on the grass.
Boots, wellies, raincoats and comfortable pieces show up often. During the day, sunscreen and a hat can be useful. At night, the drop in temperature calls for an extra layer. It is worth checking the forecast in the week of the event: the weather in Itaipava can change within the same day.
The festival will have a food truck area and different places to eat. Breaks for food help pace the experience between sets and walks across the park.
Since the line-up runs for several hours, it is worth looking at the gaps between the acts you care most about. Planning this avoids queues at the busiest moments and leaves time to explore the food areas.
Water should go with you the whole way. Staying hydrated matters more at events with dancing, walking, sun exposure and alcohol.
The range at Rock the Mountain follows a shift in Brazil's big festivals. Samba, funk, rap, pop, forró and electronic music share the park. Established artists meet new generations.
That mixture is also part of Surreal's identity. In Botafogo, music, cinema, visual arts and pop culture appear in the setting, in the menu and in the gatherings the house puts on.
The link between festival and city carries on in the conversations, the references and the musical discoveries each person takes home after the last set.
The festival will be held at the Parque Municipal Prefeito Paulo Rattes, known as the Parque de Exposições de Itaipava, at Estrada União e Indústria, 10.000.
There is no parking at the venue for the public. There is an official transfer service run in partnership with BusUp, with information and sales on the event's channels.
Anyone planning to stay in Itaipava or central Petrópolis should book well ahead, and allow for the journey to the park: traffic tends to get heavier around opening and closing times.
Lockers can be booked in advance. The full rules are in the official Rock the Mountain FAQ.
Times and line-up may be updated. Checking the official channels before travelling helps organise transport, accommodation and access.
Rock the Mountain 2026 offers a line-up that asks you to move. The crowd crosses stages, meets familiar artists, discovers new names and follows different music scenes inside the same park.
The mountains add their own climate, landscape and rhythm to the experience. Over six days, Itaipava hosts a broad sample of Brazilian music, international artists and projects that bring generations together.
Each person can build a different festival from the same map. The night starts at the stage you choose and carries on along the way.
Jazz, blues, vinyl and original cocktails in the townhouse at Rua Paulo Barreto, 102.
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