After 16 years, Rototom Sunsplash has become the biggest reggae gathering in Europe. It now attracts around 130,000 people every year from 120 countries, a peaceful army of reggae lovers.

In addition to the festival’s role as an honoured European ambassador for the Jamaican reggae scene, through all the collateral activities, it has also become a legitimate voice for peace, human rights, sustainable development and positivity – in a conscious effort to build “Un altro mondo possible” (another possible world).

Confronted with the intolerance of Italian politics towards these values and above all any model of society that values different cultures and multi-racialism, Rototom Sunsplash has decided to move to Spain. This country has proven to be more democratic and more open to cultural diversity and therefore, the ideal environment for the festival to continue on its mission whilst protecting the rights of its public.

After months of intense research the festival has finally chosen Benicassim as the location for the 2010 edition. Situated on the Mediterranean coast in the province of Castellon just 88km from Valencia, the hospitality of this place and its 17,000 inhabitants is widely demonstrated by its hosting of one of Europe’s major international indie rock festivals – ‘Fib’.

The seventeenth edition of Rototom Sunsplash will therefore take place in Benicassim from 21st to 28th August. Very soon tickets will go on presale and the first artists on the line-up will be announced. The festival will maintain its format: As well as the musical events, the festival will feature once again meetings, debates, courses, art exhibitions, films and documentaries, meditation seminaries, holistic therapies and many other activities, largely from non profit organisations.

The objectives of Rototom Sunsplash in this new phase are to remain true to its history despite the new location, bringing the Spanish reggae scene opportunity to consolidate while continuing to bridge the gap between Europe and the Caribbean. This will definitely be favoured by to the fact Spain enjoys close ties with the Americas where reggae music already has a strong presence in the cross-Atlantic Spanish speaking countries.