Brazil: Rock in Rio gears up preparations

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Brazil: Rock in Rio gears up preparations

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Rock in Rio organizers hold light and sound checks 2 days before the huge music festival kicks off.

22 September,2011 03:40 pm

Light Music Action Its almost time for Rock in Rio and final rehearsals for the much anticipated music festival went without a hitch on Wednesday night.Light and sound checks at the main stage ran smoothly as organizers geared up to welcome thousands of music fans throughout the 7-day extravaganza that kicks off on Friday.This years line-up features 160 musical acts including pop stars Elton John, Katy Perry, Rihanna and Shakira, U.S. rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers, Motown legend Stevie Wonder, British rock band Coldplay and others. Festival organizer and founder Roberto Medina said workers were wrapping up preps for the festival.Everything is ready, all the structure is set, we are finishing the final details for the big moment on Friday. I think that people will be surprised with what they will find here, he said.Tickets sold out months in advance and organizers expect around 700,000 people in the festival that will be held in two consecutive weekends.The festival will have two large stages, tents, a roller coaster, a ferry wheel and a Rock Street with restaurants and bars where jazz bands and circus artists will perform throughout the event.This will be Rock in Rios fourth edition in the city where it was founded in 1985. The festival was also hosted in Rio in 1991 and 2001, and had several editions in Madrid and Lisbon in the 2000s.Rock in Rio will take place in the wealthy neighborhood of Barra da Tijuca at an area designed to become a park for the 2016 Olympic Games.