On August 10 and 11, Catalan Rosalía brings her Lux tour to the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Bottom Line
- The Wardrobe Evolution: Rosalía’s tour wardrobe adapts per continent, featuring custom designs from Stefani Gallici, Jonathan Anderson, and stylist Jose Carayol.
- The Setlist Balance: While dominated by the operatic scale of Lux, the setlist includes tracks from her 2022 album, Motomami.
From Operatic Ambition to Arena Spectacle
When Rosalía released Lux in November of last year, according to Elle Brasil, it was considered by much of the critics as one of the great albums of 2025. The album is an adventurous dive into the universe of opera and classical music, with theatrical and dramatic airs. The Catalan artist translated that theatricality into a global arena production that premiered in March in France before passing through North America and arriving in South America. According to Elle Brasil, the production relies on a dual-stage setup featuring a main platform and a secondary cross-shaped runway that connects with the public.
The British ensemble Heritage Orchestra—comprising 22 musicians directed by Yudania Goméz Heredia—operates from the rear of the stage, occasionally behind a white curtain. Meanwhile, choreography featuring members of the French collective (LA) HORDE infuses traditional flamenco with techno pacing.
Five Acts and Fine Art Realized on Stage
The staging of the Lux tour utilizes a five-act structure. Each movement maps onto historical masterworks of European art. In the opening act, Rosalía emerges inside a giant music box dressed as a ballerina, inspiring herself by the French painter Edgar Degas and his works A aula de balé and A pequena bailarina de catorze anos. Act two dives into gothic territory for tracks like “Berghain”—her collaboration with Björk and Yves Tumor—referencing El Aquelarre by Francisco de Goya.
The visual citations continue to shift. Act three offers a pop moment as the singer recreates the pose of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa before “La perla.” For the fourth movement, stage director Dimitris Papaioannou guides a choreography performed only with the white-gloved hands of dancers, invoking works such as the statue Venus de Milo. Finally, act five features Rosalía wearing wings for “Magnolias,” making an allusion to Icarus, who, in Greek mythology, flew too close to the Sun.
| Act / Movement | Primary Artistic Reference | Musical Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Act I | Edgar Degas (Ballet Series) | Music Box Intro / Opening Movements |
| Act II | Francisco de Goya (El Aquelarre) | Dark, Goth-leaning tracks (“Berghain”) |
| Act III | Leonardo da Vinci (Mona Lisa) | Pop-forward transition (“La perla”) |
| Act IV | Venus de Milo / Hand Choreography | Minimalist physical theater |
| Act V | Mythological Icarus | Finale (“Magnolias”) |
Bridging Motomami Roots with Global Fashion
While Lux dictates the conceptual spine of the evening, the setlist includes tracks from 2022’s Motomami. Six tracks from that album—including “Saoko,” “La fama,” “CUUUUuuuuuute,” “La combi Versace,” “Bizcochito,” and “Despechá”—are part of the repertoire.
Fashion remains a vital part of the tour. Working alongside stylist Jose Carayol, Rosalía curates a continent-specific wardrobe that fuses celestial inspiration with “balletcore” aesthetics. European dates featured custom looks by Stefani Gallici for Ann Demeulemeester, while North American stops showcased four looks created by Jonathan Anderson for Dior. South American audiences are witnessing a mix of the wardrobes from the previous stages of the tour.
The Confessional Ritual and Local Flavor
The tour features an interactive element during the introduction of “La perla.” A structure similar to a confession booth is assembled on stage, where Rosalía has received different celebrities for real confessions. Previous stops have featured guests like Karol G in Inglewood, California, Cara Delevingne in London, and Chappell Roan in Oakland, California.
As the tour touches down in Rio de Janeiro, the production has blended its high-concept pedigree with local cultural flavor. Ahead of her Monday night arena debut, the artist greeted fans outside her hotel and joked about Brazilian cuisine, specifically mentioning “pão de queijo.”
