The study aims to identify the ways by which the music festival entitled Rock in Rio was able to cross generations in the city of Rio de Janeiro and make itself relevant along with the distinct youths who have lived and experienced its various editions for more than thirty years (1985-2017) with future events already confirmed. To this end, the study presents an analysis of contemporary festivals as one of the main broadcasters of music in the present time, besides being relevant mediators of the face-to-face meeting and the social coexistence; and also how they became symbols of values typically associated with the concept of youth, which have found particular circumstances in Brazil that led to the emergence of Rock in Rio. The study then presents some institutional information about this music festival, together with theoretical contributions on the fields of communication, history and memory that reflect the context of its accomplishment. Finally, the findings of the two stages included in the fieldwork are presented: (a) a research carried out during the September 2017 edition of Rock in Rio; and (b) in-depth interviews with members of the audience of this festival s first edition, in 1985, together with current young people, regarding the age group, who accompanied its most recent editions (from 2011). Both phases were aimed at understanding the symbolic value of Rock in Rio for the distinct generations that make up its audience, something that was perceived as intrinsic to the festival s longevity.