Pearl Jam bring NOS Alive 2024 to an epic climax with equally iconic sets from Arcade Fire, Smashing Pumpkins & more

16 July 2024, 01:42 | Updated: 16 July 2024, 09:13

The Portuguese festival, which took place from 11th - 13th July, also included memorable performances from Sum 41, Nothing But Thieves, Michael Kiwanuka, Jessie Ware and Black Honey.

Pearl Jam wrapped up an epic weekend at NOS Alive 2024.

The Portuguese festival - which takes place near Lisbon in Passeio Marítimo de Algés - welcomed music-lovers to its 16th edition, boasting an enviable line-up of music, culinary stalls and comedy acts.

Events kicked off to a great start on Thursday (11th July), with notable sets from the likes of Nothing But Thieves, who were heartened by the turnout to watch their early slot in the searing heat of the NOS stage.

Also on the main stage was British composer, musician and actor Benjamin Clementine, who brought his unique blend of avant-garde, contemporary-classical and experimental pop to proceedings.

Highlights of his set included his powerful rendition of Condolence and his performance of his notable Nemesis track, which features on the opening sequence for Apple TV drama The Morning Show.

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Smashing Pumpkins, who were fresh from their joint UK dates with Weezer, played a career-spanning 17-track set, with the likes of The Everlasting Gaze, Today, Tonight, Tonight, Ava Adore, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Disarm and their nostalgic 1979 anthem all getting an outing.

Not just keen to just live in the past, Billy Corgan, James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlain and co also treated the crowds to newer material in the likes of Empires, Beguiled and Spellbinding- taken from the second and third acts of their 12th studio album ATUM: A Rock Opera in Three Acts.

Ending their set on Cherub Rock and Zero, the rockers helped set the stage for what was to be a magical end to the opening night of the festival.

Arcade Fire took to the stage after playing out a stripped-back version of David Bowie's Sound and Vision, teasing what was to be a headline performance filled with visual and aural spectacle.

Celebrating 20 years of their debut album, Win Butler, Régine Chassagne and co played a Funeral-heavy set, which included Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels), Neighborhood #2 (Laika), Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) and more.

The Montreal outfit also treated the crowds to a career-spanning show, playing everything from Reflektor, to Keep the Car Running, The Suburbs, No Cars Go and Ready to Start, alongside Age of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole) from their most recent album WE.

Régine took centre stage for the likes of the epic Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) and Win Butler thanked Smashing Pumpkins for their supporting set as well as influencing them as a band.

After playing their infectious Everything Now single from their 2017 album of the same name, Arcade Fire ended their triumphant set with their stirring Wake Up anthem, leaving the crowd singing a chorus of "ohs" before being covered in confetti by the song's completion.

Day two at the Lisboa festival was topped by Dua Lipa and saw performances from the likes of Sea Girls, The Heavy, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Nightsweats, Floating Points and Aurora.

Despite the pop princess bringing out all the bells and whistles from her Radical Optimism era gig, which ended with with her Houdini single and plenty of fireworks, the highlight of the night came from Michael Kiwanuka, whose stunning performance on the Heineken Stage literally moved some members of the crowd to tears.

Highlights from his set included an outstanding vocal spot from one of his incredible backing singers, his striking and moving visuals and his powerful performances of Black Man in a White World, Home Again and Cold Little Heart, the latter of which featured on the soundtrack to Big Little Lies.

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The third and final day of the festival brought performances from The Breeders, Khruangbin and Sum 41, who brought their (farewell) Tour of the Setting Sum to the main stage, playing the likes of In Too Deep, Fat Lip and offering up a cover of Queen's We Will Rock You.

When Pearl Jam finally played the NOS stage, it was to the biggest audience of the weekend so far, proving their lasting legacy and broad appeal.

After opening their set with Daughter - the second track to be taken from their second studio album Vs, Eddie Vedder and co played their Dark Matter single from their 2024 album of the same name.

The frontman also made a valiant effort to communicate with the crowd in Portuguese, shouting Olá and reading in the language in notes he had prepared before.

The grunge titans went on to play 22-track set, which saw them give Vs. single Animal its tour debut and perform the likes of Why Go, Jeremy, Even Flow, Once and Porch.

The entire gig was pretty special, but the stand out moment from the night saw Eddie Vedder give a stripped-back solo performance of John Lennon's Imagine, as he asked the audience to light up the crowd with their phone torches.

Eddie Vedder covers Imagine at NOS Alive 2024

After giving a riotous performance of their Alive anthem and covering Neil Young's Rockin' in the Free World, Pearl Jam ended their set on 1992 B-Side Yellow Ledbetter, praising the Lisbon crowd for "blessing" them on the last stop of their Dark Matter European tour, while bringing the festival to an emotional close.

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