The highly anticipated first edition of the German festival Summer Breeze Open Air in Brazil took place last weekend in São Paulo. The result of those two days was a marathon of incredible shows and an experience that opens doors to a new level of rock and metal festivals in the country.
With a great structure housed in the Memorial da América Latina, the festival brought a completely different proposal from all the major heavy music festivals in Brazil, even if we consider the recently arrived Knotfest , which will have a new edition at the end of 2023 , and Monsters of Rock , whose return was confirmed after this year's edition.
In the case of Summer Breeze Brasil , held on April 29th and 30th, the 25-year European experience resulted in a festival that went beyond the stages, duly enriched with spaces for relevant activations for the public, from the Geek Fair to the Horror Expo, with accessory shops, a tattoo fair, a stage for lectures, and opportunities for autographs and meetings with artists: the immersion goes beyond the intense schedule of shows.
Wikimetal team was present on both days of the event and here is a summary of what the festival was like.
Summary of Summer Breeze Brazil: perfect lineup, sound too loud, and the stages
Summer Breeze Brasil lineup was announced, the number of satisfied fans was probably proportional to those who complained, especially about the headliners. But at the end of the event, it's possible to say with absolute certainty: the acts were very well chosen, and the large crowds gathered in front of the main stages on both days prove it. It was incredible to see so many people gathered at a festival that didn't feature any of the overused names that, despite being loved, always repeat themselves in the lineups here.
Following the logic of the market abroad, Summer Breeze brought bands beloved by Brazilians, but who had never played such large shows in Brazil, as the Kreator during the band's performance last Sunday, the 30th.
Even though I believe some bands were scheduled at times that didn't reflect their stature in relation to the reality of the fans here, at the end of the day, Summer Breeze proved to have made the right choices.
Regarding the stages, the dynamics of the neighboring Ice and Hot Stages worked very well: those who wanted to wait at the barrier for a specific act on one of them could watch the show next door on the screens, which provided a great view for people on both sides. The short intervals between shows, usually five minutes, were sufficient for movement in our experience, even to cross the Memorial and reach the Sun Stage.
The division of sectors on the event's track, which included a small premium area for fans with Summer Lounge tickets, seemed fair. The exclusive area existed only at the main stages and was small at the front, with more space to the right of the Hot Stage, but without hindering the general public. At these stages, it was possible to have a good view from various angles.
Unfortunately, the praise doesn't extend to the Sun Stage. The smallest stage open to the general public hosted big names in metal, from Crypta and Napalm Death to Accept and Stratovarius . Without screens, the stage felt too small for these acts and, while it makes sense for smaller names and different projects, it would be interesting to see this stage redesigned in future editions.
Another aspect that left something to be desired was the sound at the event. Those arriving at the Barra Funda station could already clearly hear the sound from the main stages, but those inside the event suffered. In general, on both days and at all stages, the volume was excessive, and it wasn't uncommon to see people covering their ears due to a lack of ear protection.
From personal experience, this feature was necessary for two reasons: to protect our hearing from the violent sound waves emitted by the speakers and to capture the sound of the guitars and vocals, since all that volume only highlighted the low-frequency sounds of the drums and bass, while other elements were lost. Even during our time at the Waves Stage covering Vixen , the sound in the auditorium followed this pattern. This is definitely a crucial area for improvement in future editions.
Despite having little time to explore the other areas of the event without missing incredible shows, which is why a large part of the audience probably didn't explore the more remote areas of the festival, the Summer Breeze Brasil in terms of activations was surprising: the brands present made perfect sense, and the presence of Horror Expo was a great partnership, providing many photos of headbangers with horror icons and unusual scenes, such as seeing Regan McNeil from The Exorcist enjoying shows between exorcism sessions.
Near the Waves Stage, the pavilion furthest from the Sun Stage also had a small tattoo market and more shops selling band t-shirts and instruments. During our visit, the area was moderately busy, giving the impression that people still need to fully experience Summer Breeze , something that time and familiarity with the festival's offerings should resolve.
The overall result is completely positive, and the German summer breeze is more than welcome in the Brazilian rock and metal festival circuit, which promises to consolidate itself in the coming years. It has been proven that there is an audience beyond the mainstream exploited at Rock In Rio – and Summer Breeze Brasil has everything it takes to become one of the biggest festivals of the genre in the country.
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