Beyonce to perform at Rock in Rio 2013

Rio de Janeiro: Beyonce, one of the world`s top pop queens, will be the main opening-night attraction at Rock in Rio 2013, to be held between Sep 13-22, the organizers said Monday.

Beyonce, winner of 16 Grammy Awards, confirmed her participation in the Rio de Janeiro festival in the early hours Monday after her halftime performance at the NFL Super Bowl. She was the winner of a survey taken by Rock in Rio organizers to find out which artists people in Rio de Janeiro would most like to see. Beyonce, who has sold 75 million discs worldwide, showed her popularity in Brazil in 2010 when her five concerts were practically sold out. The American pop sensation joins a lineup that includes Metallica, Alice in Chains, the Swedish group Ghost and the veteran bands Iron Maiden and Slayer. The last time the festival was staged in Rio de Janeiro, in 2011, it attracted 700,000 people over seven days to see artists that included Coldplay, Mana, Snow Patrol, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Shakira. IANS