Queen headlined the opening night of the 1985 Rock in Rio festival.
The first Rock in Rio opened on January 11, 1985, in Rio de Janeiro, with Queen as the headline act. The band also appeared on the festival’s closing night, making it the central international name in the inaugural event’s lineup.
Queen’s performances came during the period surrounding the group’s successful album The Works and its large-scale live shows. The Rio concerts were filmed and recorded, and footage from the festival later circulated in concert releases, helping preserve the scale of the event.
Other major performers at the first festival included AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Rod Stewart, James Taylor, and Yes. Because several internationally famous rock bands played the event, lists of its biggest acts can cause confusion, but Queen’s opening-night headline position is the specific distinction asked here.