Attendees relax at the main stage before Empire of the Sun performs during the Rock in Rio USA music festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 16, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Chase Stevens on Twitter @csstevensphoto
Attendees watch the fireworks during the Rock in Rio USA music festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 16, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Chase Stevens on Twitter @csstevensphoto
The ferris wheel is seen lit up at night during the Rock in Rio USA music festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 16, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Chase Stevens on Twitter @csstevensphoto
Attendees are silhouetted at night against the wedding ceremony area during the Rock in Rio USA music festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 16, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Chase Stevens on Twitter @csstevensphoto
Fans watch as John Legend performs on the main stage during the Rock in Rio USA music festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 16, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Chase Stevens on Twitter @csstevensphoto
Fans wave light sticks before John Legend performs on the main stage during the Rock in Rio USA music festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 16, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Chase Stevens on Twitter @csstevensphoto
Attendees dance around at the EDM stage during the Rock in Rio USA music festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 16, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Chase Stevens on Twitter @csstevensphoto
Shadows are cast against a wall as attendees walk the festival grounds during the Rock in Rio USA music festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 16, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Chase Stevens on Twitter @csstevensphoto
A member of Bossacucanova performs in the crowd during the Rock in Rio USA music festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 16, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Chase Stevens on Twitter @csstevensphoto
Carlinhos de Jesus leads a line dance during the Rock in Rio USA music festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 16, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Chase Stevens on Twitter @csstevensphoto
Kalani Ahmad, left, performs a trick with the help of audience member Yu Sawada during the Rock in Rio USA music festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 16, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Chase Stevens on Twitter @csstevensphoto
Attendees raise their fists in the air as Mayer Hawthorne performs at the Mercedes-Benz Evolution stage during the Rock in Rio USA music festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 16, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Chase Stevens on Twitter @csstevensphoto
The name Rock in Rio has served the festival well over its 30-year history, but organizers may want to consider tweaking that moniker for its second U.S. installment. This weekend’s pop lineup, headlined by Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars, outdrew last weekend’s rock roster, led by Metallica and No Doubt, by 8,000 people.
Some 172,000 people attended the four-day fest at the 40-acre City of Rock, with 90,000 of those coming this Friday and Saturday.
The inaugural Rock in Rio USA was a boon for tourism, with visitors coming from 47 states and 32 countries. Of those 172,000 attendees, only 21,156 were from Las Vegas. By comparison, 9,288 came from the festival’s native Brazil.
And in other numbers, nearly 4,000 pounds of food was donated to Las Vegas’ Christ Church Episcopal through the festival’s For a Better World social project.
