There’s a charm to NOS Alive that’s difficult to put your finger on. It could be the ‘BRAT’ green astroturfed site and sun-drenched stages, or the laid-back energy of attendees eager to enjoy their weekend. Or maybe it’s the all-star line-up and beyond excellent sound systems that ensure a killer sonic musical experience. And, of course, the huge, €5.50 cups of wine aren’t bad either.
Now in its 16th year, The Portuguese event has become a staple of the European music festival calendar, with thousands of punters descending on Lisbon for the festivities; and for 2024’s instalment The Forty-Five were among those numbers, heading to the festival to enjoy a line-up that included pop stars (Dua Lipa), rock legends (The Smashing Pumpkins, The Breeders, Pearl Jam) and dance-floor commanders (Kenya Grace, Parcels, Jessie Ware). Here’s what went down…
THURSDAY
It’s Kenya Grace who gets the day going for many punters, taking over the Heineken Stage for a hugely slick set, complete with creative visuals and vibey light show. The rising singer-songwriter-producer – perhaps best known for drum and bass belter ‘Strangers’, which hit number one in the UK – fuses snapshots of stone cold smashes among her own songs. Daniel Bedingfield’s ‘Gotta Get Thru This’, Flowdan’s ‘Welcome To London’ and Gwen Stefani’s ‘Hollaback Girl’ all make an appearance (as well as a cover of Imogen Heap’s ‘Hide and Seek’). Hopping from behind her DJ deck-and-drum-machine set-up to centre stage, mic in hand, it’s an effortless set that showcases the sheer ambition of the young artist, and how good her own songs (like ‘Paris’, ‘It’s Not Fair’ and ‘Strangers’ sound live.
Later, Parcels pack out the entirety of the Heineken Stage, revellers struggling to squeeze into the tent as a huge crowd attempt to make it in. They’re noticeably touched by the reaction, the Australia-born, Berlin-based psych-poppers delighting with a slinky set of their disco-fuelled tunes.
On the mainstage rock reigns supreme: Nothing But Thieves kick things off with an enjoyable set of their pop-rock earworms, while alt-rock icons The Smashing Pumpkins bring in one of the biggest crowd’s of the festival with their crowd-pleasing show. Meanwhile, Benjamin Clementine’s gorgeous set is perfectly timed, his songs the ideal accompaniment as the sun starts to drop in the sky.
The night’s highlight comes in the form of Jessie Ware, who transforms the Heineken Stage into “The Pearl Club”, a slinky, sexy hub for late night rendezvous and where, to quote Ware’s opening number ‘That! Feels Good!’, “pleasure is a right!”. The British pop star released her fifth studio album, the electric, funk-fuelled romp ‘That! Feels Good!’, last year, and after a huge headline tour (that included several nights at London’s Alexandra Palace), the pearl club has now hit the festival circuit.
It’s a joy. Ware’s decked out in a sequined dress that has her shimmering more than the colossal disco ball that hangs from the ceiling, and the lush lighting turns the venue into her own private nightclub. Flanked by a band and two impressive dancers, the self-declared Mother of Pearl struts and shimmies, her glorious set stuffed full of her biggest hitters. And frankly, Ware’s voice has never sounded better, the belted high notes of the funky ‘Begin Again’ earning rapturous applause. With her signature cover of Cher’s ‘Believe’, and closing with a euphoric rendition of ‘Free Yourself’, it was a triumph.
FRIDAY
For The Forty-Five, our Friday festivities kick-off with an excellent set courtesy of Ashnikko on the mainstage. Revealing to the audience they’ve been battling illness (“If I cough in the middle of the song, no I didn’t…it was flawless”) and swigging ginger shots throughout, they power through, impressive choreography and their distinct vocals not showing signs of slowing down.
Read More: Ashnikko: “I feel grief and heartbreak for my country”
Over on the Heineken Stage Aurora is the latest artist to totally pack out the tent, the crowd spilling well into the area outside filled with food vans and spots to eat. It’s a shame, then, for acts like Aurora and Parcels that they weren’t placed on a larger stage, to accommodate for the eager fans desperate to catch a glimpse of the acts. For those who did manage to get in, the Norwegian synth-pop star’s show is a jubilant 60 minutes.
From the bombast of ‘Heathens’, to the resilience of dance-pop earworm ‘Cure for Me’ and a fan-requested rendition of ‘Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)’, it’s a performance of communal catharsis. And it seems that Aurora agrees, telling the audience earnestly: “I think so far you are one the best crowds this year.”
Back on the mainstage Arlo Parks plays to the crowd eagerly awaiting the evening’s headliner Dua Lipa, encouraging them to dance ahead of “Dua’s beautiful set” before playing the groovy ‘Too Good’. It’s now been over a year since Parks released her second record ‘My Soft Machine’, and the songs are elevated in the live setting accompanied by Parks’ excellent band and the artist’s effortless stage presence.
Fresh from selling out Wembley Arena, Dua Lipa tops the bill this evening, bringing a taste of these future stadium concerts to Lisbon. It’s a proper pop show, with meticulous choreography, confetti cannons and fireworks, and dynamic staging and visuals. And at the center of this is Dua Lipa, the Glastonbury headliner and pop powerhouse.
It’s a set filled with what the audience want: the hits, with only a few deeper cuts from Lipa’s latest record ‘Radical Optimism’. Instead we get runs of tracks like ‘New Rules’, ‘Electricity’ and ‘Cold Heart’, the audience giddy with poptimism, and Lipa only egging them on with sing-a-longs of the megawatt choruses and her enthralling dance-routines. Like at Glastonbury last month, we get the reworked version of ‘New Rules’ that interpolates Bicep, and a housey outro to ‘Pretty Please’, enjoyable new takes on older cuts; while recent singles like ‘Training Season’ and ‘Houdini’ shine brighter in this environment. And name a better encore than ‘Physical’, ‘Don’t Start Now’ and ‘Houdini’, we’ll wait.
SATURDAY
The final day of the festival sees rock heroes Pearl Jam headlining. The band are a key part of NOS Alive’s history, given the festival’s name was first taken from the band’s track ‘Alive’, and this is their fourth time headlining the festival. And it feels like a special moment, especially after several dates of the European tour being cancelled due to illness in the band. It’s an exhilarating two hours – one where fans are treated to both the hits (‘Evenflow’, ‘Alive’, ‘Black’), but also a moving cover of ‘Imagine’, and a grand finale of ‘Yellow Ledbetter’.
Elsewhere, for those who got down to the site early, they were treated to a heavy weight set from Black Honey. “We’re called Black Honey and it’s really nice to meet you,” Izzy Bee Phillips tells the audience before the hulking ‘I Like The Way You Die’. It seems the feeling is mutual for the Brighton indie-rockers, who breezily convert those using the Heineken Stage tent stage as a place to shelter from the blazing sun into new fans throughout the course of their performance.
Over on the main stage The Breeders pull in a hefty crowd for their 8pm show — one of the largest for a set when the sun’s still out, punters flocking to the stage for the legends’ gig. It feels disingenuous to say they’re a welcome warmup for pop-punk stalwarts Sum 41 and headliners Pearl Jam, who play on this stage later this evening, given their monumental status in their own right, but Kim Deal et al blitz through their hour set and charm those watching with their easy banter.
Khruangbin’s show at Heineken Stage is another festival highlight, the Texan trio’s woozy own-brand of psychedelic-fuelled pop and rock is accompanied by kaleidoscopic lighting and trippy visuals, and the whole impact is a delicious sensory picnic. They’re musicianship can’t be faulted, the majority of the set-list breaking down into impressive extended jams and shredding opportunities, those watching enraptured by the show.
Khruangbin followed by Pearl Jam feels like an apt ending to the festival – one that’s built on far-spanning line-ups. From the psychedelia of the former, to the all-out rock of the latter, it’s an example of NOS Alive’s wide-reaching influence; and all part of the NOS Alive charm.
