NOS Alive festival 2023 review: Eclectic European festival proves variety truly is the spice of life

You’re as likely to see teens running to alt-pop star Rina Sawayama as you are 60-year-old rock dads en route to Puscifer

Red Hot Chili Peppers performs live on stage during the Nos Alive Festival in Oeiras, Portugal, 06 July 2023. (EPA)

On the first night of Nos Alive 2023, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers takes a moment to appreciate his surroundings. “I love it here!” the 60-year-old bassist yells into the crowd. “Love your air, love your water, love your dirt!” It’s not 100 per cent clear whether he’s talking about the festival or Lisbon more generally. Either way, it’s easy to see where he’s coming from.

Based in the docks of Oeiras, a downtown municipality of the Portuguese capital, Nos Alive is a surprising concoction of music, arts and activities that shouldn’t necessarily work together – and yet shockingly do. Host to both the indie sounds of Montreal band Men I Trust and the world dance music stylings of Angolan-Portuguese collective Throes and the Shine, Nos Alive does not limit itself to genre. Its clientele reflects this wide range; you’re just as likely to see a gaggle of heavy eyelinered teens running to catch alt-pop star Rina Sawayama as you are 60-year-old rock dads heading to Puscifer’s set. And in between music sets, there’s no shortage of miscellaneous attractions to keep everyone busy. Fancy getting some glitter face paint? Or hopping in a Mission: Impossible anti-gravity ride experience? Or competing in a drumming competition to win a goodie bag of sex toys? Nos has it all.

The festival’s 15th year is one of its most varied yet. As usual, rock music has a strong presence on the bill, with acts such as The Black Keys, Idles, Spoon, and Queens of the Stone Age securing the prime performance spots. As the top headline act of day one, Red Hot Chili Peppers bring in a strong turnout on the AstroTurfed ground of the main stage. Thousands of bodies bop together to “Can’t Stop” and “Californication”, providing welcome insulation from the chill of the night’s sea breeze. Even for casual appreciators of the four-piece legacy band, their set is marvellous – energetic, banger-heavy, and an impressive showcase of precise and passionate musicianship.

Night two brings a triple bill of heavy-hitters to the main stage. First up is Lizzo who, dressed in a black-and-red lace jumpsuit, lights up the stage with her trademark dazzling smile. “Enjoy the show, b****!” reads an announcement on the jumbo screen. There’s not a single person in the thousands-strong throng who could possibly defy that order. Lizzo is a beacon of good energy, reminding her audience of their worth in “Special” and imparting bad b**** affirmations in “Truth Hurts”. It’s impossible not to be won over by Lizzo and her superior crowd engagement, chatting as she does with her audience as if they’re life-long friends.

An hour later, it’s Arctic Monkeys’ time to shine. Squeals of excitement ripple through the crowd as their stage begins to take shape; the now-staple mirrorball installed overhead. The air feels ripe for an exciting show… and for many fans, the hype is earned. Frontman Alex Turner swaggers into view and launches into the 2022 track “Sculptures of Anything Goes”, a fairly sombre opener that provokes widespread cheers nonetheless. The next 90 minutes are a mixture of new and old hits, with fan favourites like “I Wanna Be Yours” and “R U Mine” saved for the encore. These songs evoke the biggest response from the crowd – in spite of the fact that both are played at a frustratingly unpredictable half-speed, making sing-alongs impossible.

The Nos mood switches up once again as Lil Nas X hits the stage, cranking up the BPM and the energy with it. After opening with lustful pop hit “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”, the 24-year-old warns everyone who isn’t ready to “turn the f*** up” to get out. Those who stay are treated to one of the most exciting shows of the festival, complete with New York City-inspired ballroom dance breakdowns, a life-size horse mannequin, and an accidental trouser rip.

On the final night, Seattle rockers Queens of the Stone Age invite headbangs and mosh pits before Sam Smith comes to spread peace, love and freedom with their set of ballads, pop bops and house tracks. A festival highlight arrives in the form of Smith’s early 2010s collaboration with Disclosure. The bass tones of “Latch” pulse from the speakers as blue strobes light the night sky. It’s a fitting finale for another smashing year of this colourful, refreshing festival. Besides some hazardously loose bricks in the flooring, the site is also crucially one where guests can party and feel safe doing so.

There aren’t many places where the biggest international acts in the world will play alongside emerging homegrown talent like João Borsch and (the fabulously titled) Femme Falafel. In its patchwork “everything goes” approach to putting on a show, Nos Alive keeps things delightfully flavourful. After all, variety is the spice of life.