Katy Perry announced as ‘Pop Day’ headliner

Katy Perry has been announced as the headliner of ‘Pop Day’ at the 2026 edition of Rock In Rio Lisbon Festival.

The singer will top the bill on the Palco Mundo Stage in Parque Tejo in the Portuguese capital on June 20 next year, with the festival running over two consecutive weekends.

Linkin Park have already been announced as headlining the festival on June 21, and the event will also run on June 27 and 28. Tickets for Rock In Rio Lisbon 2026 can be purchased here.

In a video shared on the festival’s Instagram, Perry, who previously played at the festival in 2018, has said: “Ola Lisboa. It’s such an honour to announce that I’ll be performing at Rock In Rio Lisboa 2026. This festival is one of the most iconic in the world and I am so excited to join this very incredible line-up. Lisbon, I’ll see you in June for a very special show.”

Also on the bill so far for ‘Pop Day’ will be Brazilian singer and producer Pedro Sampaio and Sao Tome and Principe duo Calema, as well as NAPA, who will be playing in their home country.

Roberta Medina, executive vice president of Rock in Rio Lisbon, has said: “We are preparing the largest and best edition of Rock in Rio Lisbon with unique and memorable experiences. In this way, we position Lisbon and the festival as global references in entertainment tourism. We want Rock in Rio Lisbon to continue being much more than a festival, a stage for unique, live, and collective experiences showing that people united in peace and harmony are the greatest transformative force to build the world we want to see.”

They have also announced that the festival site will be expanded by 25 square kilometres for 2026, and they will also debut ‘The Flight’, a new aerial show created specifically for the 11th edition of the festival.

Perry released her seventh album ‘143’ in September, which NME awarded two stars and described as “a serviceable but slightly dull collection on which Perry struggles to relocate her old sense of fun”.

Last month, Perry reflected on her “rollercoaster year” and said she was done “forcing” her career. “Whatever comes next, I’m letting it unfold naturally,” she said. “No forcing, no controlling – just trusting the angels, the fans, and the music to guide me where I’m meant to go. Please know this: my love for you is unconditional, and I couldn’t do any of this without you.”

Controversies surrounding the album included her choice to work with Dr. Luke despite the abuse and assault allegations against him, and the supposed male gaze-centric nature of her single ‘Woman’s World’.

Elsewhere, she was recently spotted apparently kissing former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, although neither party have confirmed the relationship.