NOS Alive has long been one of Europe’s most eclectic festivals, but this year felt particularly full of contrasts, in the best possible way. Across three nights, crowds screamed with Olivia Rodrigo, danced through the night with electronic duo Justice, and moshed in all black to Nine Inch Nails. Industrial rock met pop, and cowboy boots somehow tied it all together. 

The Portuguese festival proved that a memorable weekend is not made simply through big showstopping names, but unexpected mash-ups, political solidarity and outfit choices that make each day feel like a world of its own. For those who could not attend this year – and missed Benson Boone do not one, not two, but three backflips – here’s what went down. 

THE WOMEN OF NOS ALIVE STOLE THE SHOW 

Pop-punk princess Olivia Rodrigo headlined night one, fresh off her electrifying Glastonbury set. While her NOS Alive setlist mirrored that performance, it was still a treat. Armoured in knee-high Dr Martens and full of rage and mischief, she sang crowd favourite “All-American Bitch”, urging the crowd to picture someone they really hate before screaming at the top of their lungs. As thousands of young fans let loose, a mum leaned over to me and whispered how grateful she was that her daughters had someone like Rodrigo to look up to – and I couldn’t help but feel the same.

On night two, Girl in Red lit up the main stage with her frazzled, heart-on-sleeve brand of queer pop, while St. Vincent emerged in the early hours of the morning. Her melodic style and use of distortion jolted the audience awake as she shredded through tracks like “Fear The Future” and “Broken Man”. Night three saw Irish crowd-pleaser CMAT perform her viral hit “Take a Sexy Picture of Me”, while Amyl and the Sniffers delivered one of the most joyful sets of the weekend, with frontwoman Amy Taylor grinning from ear to ear throughout it. The band also used their time on stage (just as they did at Glastonbury) to call for a free Palestine, waving the Palestinian flag in a moment of solidarity. 

BENSON BOONE MOVED ME (AND CONFUSED ME) 

The first night of the festival brought an American invasion to the main stage, with performances by Mark Ambor, Noah Kahan and Olivia Rodrigo. While Rodrigo’s midnight set was the main event, many of us (some secretly, others not so secretly) were just as curious to see Benson Boone, who was also performing that night. By now, we’ve all seen the clip of Boone mid-backflip at Coachella, clad in a glittering bodysuit and sporting a thick porn-stache. We’ve also all unfortunately seen Mark Zuckerberg cosplay as him for his wife’s birthday party. 😔 His latest album, American Heart, received a lukewarm reception, with Pitchfork giving it a 3.7 and writing that Boone’s “flair can’t make up for the fact that his songs aren’t very good and that he lacks a unique point of view.”

Boone is easy to make fun of, but at 23, it’s very brave to keep putting yourself out there while the internet continues to pick you apart. That being said, his set was a little jarring. His vocals are strong, there’s no denying that, but much of his music feels overly polished and a little derivative, echoing bands like The All-American Rejects or Queen without quite capturing their originality. At one point, Boone channelled Freddie Mercury’s iconic ‘Eeeooo’ from Queen’s 1985 Live Aid performance to hype the crowd, before solemnly launching into a ballad about his late grandmother. He apologised for the sudden shift in tone, but it’s clear he’s still figuring out how to shape a set and hold a crowd. Still, there’s something kind of charming about watching someone want something so badly. Boone is clearly hungry for fame and recognition – and whether or not his music is to your taste, that kind of ambition is hard to ignore.

COMEDY IS NOT DEAD 

Over the past few years (and really, throughout history), the discourse around comedy has swung back and forth. Is it alive? Is it dead? Did the so-called “woke mob” kill it, or was it already being dragged down by ignorant, sexist assholes? At NOS Alive, the answer was clear: comedy is alive and well. The comedy stage was consistently buzzing with laughter, thanks to standout sets from Guilherme Duarte, Ana Arrebentinha, Liliana Marques and Cebola Mol. As the first dedicated comedy stage at a Portuguese festival, it proved there’s plenty of talent and appetite for homegrown humour.

THE YEEHAW AGENDA IS STRONG

Each night at NOS Alive brought its own distinct energy and a corresponding dress code. On night one, with Rodrigo headlining, the crowd leaned into pop-punk nostalgia: Converse, Dr Martens, plaid skirts and baby tees. Night two took an electronic turn, with rave-like sets from Anyma and Justice drawing an audience dressed in sheer layers, sunglasses (worn well past sundown) and plenty of metallics. On night three, Muse and Nine Inch Nails closed out the festival, which created a darker vibe. The crowd turned up in all-black, with heavy boots and vintage band tees. 

And yet, despite the shifting vibes each night, two items made an appearance without fail: cowboy boots and hats. Country music has always had a devoted following, but in recent years, it has gone fully mainstream; think Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” Chappell Roan’s “The Giver,” and countless others. Still, it raises the question: how did the yeehaw aesthetic become a staple festival look at events that have nothing to do with country music? That’s an investigation for another day (and article). But alongside a weekend of standout performances, the prominence of cowboy boots confirmed what many of us already suspected: this look isn’t going anywhere.