NOS Alive is a three-day music festival held at Passeio Maritimo de Alges in Lisbon, Portugal. Founded in 2007 as Oeiras Alive, it has grown into one of Europe's top summer festivals, drawing over 55,000 attendees per day across eight stages. The 2026 edition runs July 9, 10 and 11 with headliners Twenty One Pilots, Foo Fighters and Florence + The Machine.
Foo Fighters headline the Friday night of the 2026 edition on the Palco NOS stage, closing their European "Take Cover Tour 2026." The band has performed at NOS Alive twice before, in 2011 and 2017. Their official video for "Everlong," released on foofightersVEVO, has over 100 million views on YouTube and remains one of the most streamed rock videos on the platform:
How NOS Alive Works
NOS Alive runs Thursday through Saturday in the second week of July at Passeio Maritimo de Alges, a waterfront venue 15 minutes west of central Lisbon. The festival operates across eight stages, each with a distinct programming focus.
Key operational details:
- Stages and Programming: The Palco NOS (main stage) hosts the biggest headliners. The Heineken Stage features alternative and indie acts. The WTF Clubbing Stage programs electronic and DJ sets. The Coreto stage showcases Portuguese artists. The Comedia Stage runs stand-up comedy. The Galp Fado Cafe hosts fado performances. The Portico NOS Alive and Literario stages round out the programming with local music and literary talks.
- Ticketing: Three-day passes and single-day tickets are sold through Ticketline. Tickets sell out quickly, particularly for the main stage headliner nights. The festival uses a personalized ticket system with security checks at the gate.
- Venue and Access: Passeio Maritimo de Alges is accessible by train from Lisbon (Cascais line, Alges station, 20 minutes from Cais do Sodre). The venue is walking distance from the Lisbon Camping and Bungalows site, which offers on-site accommodation during the festival.
- Programming Mix: NOS Alive is known for booking a mix of international headliners and Portuguese talent. The 2026 edition includes Buraka Som Sistema, a Portuguese electronic group, alongside global acts like Foo Fighters and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
Real-World Example: NOS Alive 2026
The 2026 edition runs July 9, 10 and 11. Twenty One Pilots headline Thursday night on the Palco NOS stage, supported by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and A Perfect Circle. Foo Fighters headline Friday, with Wolf Alice and Skunk Anansie on the main stage. Florence + The Machine closes the festival Saturday night, with Lorde and Teddy Swims as support.
The Heineken Stage features Alabama Shakes, The War on Drugs, Pixies, Matt Berninger (of The National), Dogstar, and Zara Larsson. The WTF Clubbing Stage programs Polo and Pan (DJ set), Digitalism (hybrid live set), SBTRKT (DJ set), and Modeselektor (DJ set).
For an independent artist, the Coreto stage is the most accessible entry point. It programs Portuguese and emerging acts alongside established national talent. A strong Coreto set can generate domestic press coverage and lead to larger stage bookings in subsequent editions.
Notable Past Headliners
NOS Alive has booked a mix of international rock, pop, and alternative headliners since its founding in 2007. The festival's first edition in 2007 was headlined by Pearl Jam, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Beastie Boys. Here is a look at headliners from recent editions:
| Year | Thursday Headliner | Friday Headliner | Saturday Headliner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Twenty One Pilots | Foo Fighters | Florence + The Machine |
| 2025 | Olivia Rodrigo | Justice + Anyma | Muse + Nine Inch Nails |
| 2024 | Arcade Fire | Dua Lipa | Pearl Jam |
| 2023 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Arctic Monkeys | Sam Smith |
| 2022 | Metallica | The Strokes | Florence + The Machine |
The 2022 edition was a four-day festival running July 6 to 9, marking the festival's return after cancellations in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Metallica headlined the opening night, with Imagine Dragons, The Strokes, and Florence + The Machine filling the remaining headline slots across the extended format. The 2020 and 2021 editions were planned with Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and The Strokes as headliners, but both were cancelled.
The 2024 edition drew 165,000 attendees across three days. Pearl Jam sold out the Saturday night in 48 hours, marking their return to Passeio Maritimo de Alges after headlining the festival's inaugural edition in 2007. Arcade Fire headlined Thursday, with The Smashing Pumpkins as main support. Dua Lipa headlined Friday, bringing her Radical Optimism album campaign to the Palco NOS stage.
The 2025 edition ran July 10 to 12 with 112 artists and 121 performances across seven stages. Olivia Rodrigo made her NOS Alive debut as Thursday headliner, with Noah Kahan and Benson Boone in support. Justice and Anyma co-headlined Friday, while Muse replaced Kings of Leon on Saturday after frontman Caleb Followill suffered a broken leg. Nine Inch Nails joined Muse as the Saturday co-headliner.
Florence + The Machine closes the 2026 edition on Saturday night, returning to NOS Alive after headlining the final night of the 2022 edition. Her official video for "Dog Days Are Over," released on FlorenceMachineVEVO, has over 100 million views and was nominated for Video of the Year at the MTV VMAs:
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
NOS Alive books across multiple genres and stages, with dedicated slots for Portuguese and Iberian artists. If you are based in Portugal or building a following in the Iberian market, a NOS Alive slot is the highest-profile festival booking available in the region. The festival's proximity to Lisbon (a major tourist destination during summer) also means your set reaches an international audience.
The strategy for getting booked:
- Build a strong live reputation in Portugal and Spain. NOS Alive bookers track artists selling out venues in Lisbon and Porto.
- Target the Coreto stage first. It programs emerging Portuguese acts and serves as a pipeline to larger stages.
- Work with a booking agent who has relationships with Everything is New, the festival's organizing company. Most slots are filled through agent submissions.
- Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to track your streaming growth in the Portuguese market, as festival bookers look at regional streaming data.
Read our music festival strategy guide for a deeper dive on getting booked at major festivals.
Related Resources
- Music Festivals Directory - Explore other European and international festivals
- Streaming Royalty Calculator - Track streaming growth that attracts festival bookings
- Tour Revenue Calculator - Plan your European festival tour budget
- Music Festival Strategy: Get Booked and Make It Count
- Official NOS Alive Website
Similar Festivals
- Mad Cool Festival - Major multi-genre festival held in Madrid, Spain, with a similar rock and pop headline focus
- Primavera Sound - Barcelona-based festival known for indie and alternative programming alongside major headliners
- Rock in Rio - Large-scale music festival held in Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro, sharing the Portuguese festival market
- Eurockeennes - Multi-genre rock and pop festival held in Belfort, France
