It’s pretty impossible not to have a great time at NOS Alive. Take the setting: the astroturf-covered docklands of the Passeio Marítimo de Algés in Portugal, flanked by the steady-flowing Algés river on one side, and Lisbon’s cheerful pastel-yellow and pink houses on the other. The journey to the festival site takes you past some of the city’s best architecture, from the 16th-century Belém Tower to Ponte 25 de Abril, a striking suspension bridge linking the city with Almada. Then, there’s the weather. For sun-worshippers, it’s ideal: the Portuguese heat starts rising early in the day, with cool river breezes providing respite into the evening.
The first day is lightest in terms of foot traffic, but a smaller turnout doesn’t stop the crowds from making their presence felt. At the Heineken stage, Irish rock band Fontaines DC have Wednesday’s audience in the palm of their hands. If the tent had walls, sweat would be dripping down them; the heat of the early evening leaves fans damp but merry after some intense moshing to “Boys in the Better Land”. As the festival goes on, the giddiness is sustained. In Thursday’s late afternoon slot, Celeste mesmerises with her powerful and crisp vocals.
