By the time Lil Nas X struts onto the NOS Alive main stage, in fringe-extreme pants and lit by thick, champagne-yellow fog, you start to realize: This isn’t a music festival; it’s a euphoric fever dream. From the very first hip-thrust in “Old Town Road” to the over-the-top visuals and a pair of enormous horse puppets, the tone is firmly established.
A stone’s throw from the imposing Atlantic Ocean, and with the stunning estuary of the river Tagus for a backdrop, nestled within the beautiful Passeio Marítimo de Algés, sits NOS Alive 2023 and what a contrast it is: a festival so handpicked, yet so full of wild variety, small in outlook big in ideas. Over seven stages, every moment throbs with energy and strangeness, and the whole thing feels like one sun-soaked moment of tranquility by the side of the River Tagus.
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Lil Nas X is at the forefront of the charge with a performance that is not just a concert, but also a full-on spectacle. From the audacious opener “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” to silver snakes and sci-fi stage setups, it’s a triumphant parade of queer identity meticulously choreographed to the flick of a wrist flamboyant, fearless and, yes, entertaining.
NOS Alive is how you do a boutique festival properly. There’s no camping on-site, and that city-adjacent location takes a lot of work off your festival-prep plate, while preserving that singular open-air freedom. It’s accessible, it’s safe, it’s a refreshingly respectful hub where even the wildest of fans appear to be in chill mode.
The physical structure of the festival is humble yet spacious. Comedy tents, fado stages, a waggishly dubbed “WTF” club stage, and showcases for Portugal’s up-and-comers round out a programming palette that is anything but predictable. It’s less a festival and more a curated cultural sampler complete with anti-gravity rides and irreverent goodie bags to keep the balance feeling tenuous.
Lizzo, naturally, serves up a glistening dollop of body-positive empowerment. Her voice? Unstoppable. Her flute solos? Iconic and her banter? Like therapy wrapped in sequins. “Release that negative energy!” Her set is a group hug of a party, climaxing with “Good As Hell” and “About Damn Time.”
And then there’s Puscifer, Maynard James Keenan’s sci-fi alter ego made flesh. Men in Black meets art-pop insanity; the set is a cross between rock opera, sci-fi experiment, and everything Keenan.
And Saturday night shines with Sam Smith in all his full chandelier regalia, delivering classic hits and pop grandeur. The mic drop, however, belongs to Rina Sawayama, whose vocal gymnastics and dagger-precise choreography clear the Heineken stage with blistering high-kicks and a gut punch to The 1975’s Matty Healy. “STFU!” hits hard and lands even harder.
NOS Alive isn’t all about the big names; it’s about those big moments in small frames. It is where flamboyance meets finesse, and an otherworldly theatre and political punchlines and dance-floor catharsis can come stumbling out in one sun-drenched dockside weekend.
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