Rock in Rio may be more than a quarter-century old, but the mega-music festival is showing few signs of age with some 600,000 tickets for this year’s incarnation selling out in four days.

The concert series is returning to the Brazilian city of its birth for the first time since 2001, with six shows set for late September and early October –and another event in 2013.

“The pace of sales surprised us,” Roberta Medina, vice president of the festival, said in a statement. “Fortunately, today we have a different reality in the country, with a strong city that allows us to transform Rock in Rio into a biannual event. Fans can expect that in 2013 there is a new edition of the festival here.”

Sales began on Saturday, with tickets going for 190 reals (circa €82) for each day of the show. Some 90,000 tickets were snapped up online in the first 10 hours.

The festival will take place between September 23 and 25 and from September 30 to October 2, and is set to feature more than 150 international artists and Brazilian stars.

Among the acts taking the stage this year are Katy Perry, Jay-Z, Metallica, Coldplay, Rihanna, Elton John, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Motorhead, Slipknot, Lenny Kravitz, Shakira, Mana, Evanescence, System of a Down and Guns N’ Roses.

The series’ first event was held in Rio over 10 days in January 1985, and by drawing 1.4 million people it is believed to be the largest rock festival in the world.