Sustainability Practices in Events’ Organization in Lisbon. Empirical Study of the Rock in Rio Music Festival

In recent years, the number of music festivals held throughout the world has increased significantly. These festivals are diverse and feature a variety of musical genres, and some aim to celebrate local culture and traditions. Therefore, several reasons drive a visitor to participate in the event, and the impacts that such a large event produces on the destination where it takes place are unquestionable. This research aims to study music events, in particular the Rock in Rio festival, and to understand the motivations that lead visitors to participate in this event, as well as the impacts at the destination where it is held. From this perspective, the main objective of this study is to identify main sustainable practices in the Rock in Rio event and their impact on the destination. A qualitative methodology was used engaging members of the Turismo de Portugal (national DMO), VisitLisboa (regional DMO), and hotel units in the city of Lisbon. Considering that social sustainability is a topic still underdeveloped in scientific studies, particularly when related to music events, this study will bring new contributions. The main results suggest that the Rock in Rio event impacts Lisbon, positively and negatively, as a destination, with the most evident positive impacts related to the city destination’s promotion, supply development, and the image and reputation creation. Even though the sustainability approach is already in everyday life, sustainable practices are not as evident in events as in destinations, particularly in the hotel sector. However, they are already defined as a valued element for choosing destinations and events.