The Town has booked Marilyn Manson, a singer accused of abuse by several women, as one of its first two acts for 2027. Organisers announced the lineup on 28 September 2026, pairing him with Slipknot on the Skyline main stage on Saturday 4 September 2027. The booking renewed criticism, Jornal de Brasília reported.
The pair open a five-day festival at the Interlagos motor-racing circuit in São Paulo's south zone. It runs over two weekends: 4, 5 and 6 September, followed by 11 and 12 September. No other performers are confirmed. Tickets aren't on sale yet.
The Allegations Behind the Booking
Manson is the stage name of Brian Warner, an American shock-rock singer. Since 2021, several women, including actress Evan Rachel Wood, have accused him of abuse. He has denied the allegations. In January 2025, Los Angeles prosecutors declined to file criminal charges, citing insufficient evidence and time limits.
Zé Ricardo, Rock World's artistic vice-president, defended the decision. Manson “has not been convicted,” he told O Globo, and the festival “cannot pre-condemn a person without proof,” as reported by Rolling Stone Brasil. Prosecutors cited evidence and time limits in explaining their decision. NME reported that Manson joins Slipknot as a support act on the South American tour dates.
Rock World is the company behind The Town and Rock in Rio. Its president, Roberto Medina, said opening the announcements with Slipknot as headliner is “wonderful.” Ricardo said negotiations with the band were difficult, and Jornal de Brasília reported that they lasted three months. Slipknot's drummer, Eloy Casagrande, is Brazilian and a former member of Sepultura.
What Fans Still Don't Know About Cost and Access
The festival hasn't published 2027 ticket prices, a sale date, a ticket vendor or presale details. The 2025 numbers offer a rough guide. Ticketmaster Brasil sold all tickets then without a convenience fee, Billboard Brasil reported. A full-price day ticket cost R$ 975 (about US$187). A half-price ticket cost R$ 487.50 (about US$93).
That half-price ticket is meia-entrada, a Brazilian legal discount for students, people aged 60 and over, people with disabilities and some other groups. Staff check proof at the gate. The official site sets a minimum age of 16, and younger children must attend with a parent or legal guardian.
Travel adds to the cost. Interlagos sits far from Avenida Paulista in the centre. Line 9-Emerald of the CPTM commuter rail network runs near the circuit. For the 2025 festival, an express train from Pinheiros station cost R$ 35 (about US$7) return, while an express bus cost R$ 40 (about US$8) return. The walk from the train took about ten minutes. Transport plans for 2027 haven't been published.
A Festival With Big Public Footprint
The Town began in 2023 as São Paulo's sister festival to Rock in Rio, which Medina founded in 1985. The first two editions drew about 925,000 people in total, Dicas do Tio Du reported. Estimates for 2025 differ: CNN Brasil put attendance at about 425,000, while Rolling Stone Brasil cited around 500,000. Rolling Stone Brasil also reported R$ 2.2 billion (about US$421 million) in economic activity.
Slipknot's 2027 world tour, the (sic)est Stadium Tour, opens at Wembley Stadium in London on 3 July 2027. The band's South American leg starts in São Paulo, with stand-alone dates in Buenos Aires on 8 September, Santiago on 12 September, Lima on 14 September and Bogotá on 16 September. Rock World says the São Paulo show will be Slipknot's only Brazil date and only festival stop on the tour.
Why This Matters:
A festival that draws hundreds of thousands of people and generates billions of reais in activity also sets standards for who gets a stage. The organisers' argument rests on the absence of a conviction. The prosecutors' stated reasons, insufficient evidence and time limits, don't settle the underlying allegations, which Manson denies. Advocates for accountability have long argued that how large events handle such cases affects whether accusers feel heard. Cost matters, too. The 2025 prices, R$ 975 full and R$ 487.50 half, show how much of the festival's reach depends on legal discounts like meia-entrada and on the cost of a long trip to the south zone. Ticket and transport details for 2027 remain unpublished, so the burden on fans remains unknown.