The name doesn’t really give any hints about what it is, but we are talking about the biggest reggae festival of Europe: Rototom Sunsplash. This festival is held in Benicàssim, a small municipality north of Valencia. Rototom Sunsplash has a beautiful and interesting history.
When
This year Rototom Sunsplash will be organized in Benicàssim from the 16th until the 22nd of August 2019. It is a special edition of Rototom, since it is their 26th anniversary this year. It is their 26th edition this year.
An Italian festival by origin
Originally, Rototom was established in Pordenone, a city in Italy. Four friends came together and decided to combine their friendship, ethical visions and passion for music. They created Rototom in 1991, as a club in which alternative music from that century was played. People who were looking for a unique spot with different music in their region now had a place that met their wishes and expectations.
Three years later in 1994, the Rototom Sunsplash reggae festival was born in Gaio in Italy. This was such a great success that two editions of the festival were organized in 1998 on the Friulian coast. Because of this location and the big success, Rototom attracted more than only the reggae lovers who came together for the alternative music, the same ethical visions and the peaceful ambiance. All kinds of people discovered the festival that was organized along the touristy coast of Italy. This made the festival impossible to handle in 1999. Therefore, Rototom has been moved to a park in Udine in 2000. Here, still in Italy, it continued for ten more years and grew out to a ten day during festival with possibilities to camp, enjoy the music and listen to international artists and speakers. At a moment during these years, 150,000 people came together to enjoy Rototom!
Luckily: Rototom moves to Spain!
In 2009 a law against drugs was introduced in Italy, which together with the alternative character of the festival led to the fact that the organizers of Rototom moved to Spain. The culture, ethical visions and alternative music were not welcome in Italy anymore, but the organizers had a hard time finding a suitable new site in Spain. Luckily, they celebrated the 20th anniversary in 2013 with more people joining than ever before. In 2014 even 250,000 visitors from all over the world came to enjoy the festival.
Different areas for music and art
Rototom Sunsplash has several areas during the festival. You will find music areas like African village, dancehall, dubstep, a Caribbean zone, reggae and jumping. Next to that, there are areas for art, artisan markets, a no profit zone, magical zones and a circus. Furthermore, you will find a campsite for visitors that are staying during the night. Also several restaurants and bars are situated on the festival ground.
Prices vary for Rototom Sunsplash
The prices for a week partying at the festival change when the festival is approaching. Specific dates go together with specific prices. Below you will find an overview of the prices:
- When buying between the 9th of February and the 5th of April:
- 7 days festival only € 150
- 7 days festival + campsite € 190
- When buying between the 6th of April and the 7th of June:
- 7 days festival only € 170
- 7 days festival + campsite € 210
- When buying between the 8th of June and the 21st of August:
- 7 days festival only € 190
- 7 days festival + campsite € 230
Next to that, you can also party at Rototom Sunsplash for a bit less than a week. The prices are as followed:
- 6 days: € 160, incl. campsite € 195
- 5 days: € 140, incl. campsite € 170
- 4 days: € 110, incl. campsite € 135
- 3 days: € 90, incl. campsite € 110
- 2 days: € 65, incl. campsite € 80
- 1 day: can be bought daily at the festival itself
The prices of the tickets increase with € 5 when you buy them at the festival instead of online. The best way to buy tickets is at the official website of Rototom Sunsplash.
How to get to Rototom Sunsplash
There are several ways to get to Rototom Sunsplash Festival:
Car
It takes about an hour to get to the festival by car. Take the highway V-21 in direction Castellón and continue your way to Benicàssim instead of following Castellón. Did you know you could use BlaBlaCar to drive together with other people who are having the same destination as you? This makes it cheaper to go to Rototom!
Train
Valencia and Benicàssim both have their own train station, so you can easily take the train to get there. The trip will take 45 minutes to 1.5 hour, depending at what time you go and what you are willing to pay. The trips that take more time are often cheaper and also when you travel during the day, tickets are less expensive. Approximately you can count on a price between € 8 and € 25. You will find the exact prices for your trip on the website of the Spanish train company Renfe.
Bus
Furthermore, it is possible to take the bus from Valencia to Benicàssim with companies like HIFE, Avanza or ALSA, but Rototom Sunplash also has their own reggae route. This bus goes from and through different parts of Europa and ends up at the festival. You can buy a ticket for the reggae route in combination with your festival ticket!
Tips
- More cool events and festivals? Check our event page!
- Want to save money? Buy the tickets as soon as possible and online instead of at the festival the day itself. If you want more features next to the festival, like the camping and/or the reggae bus, try to combine them instead of buying them separate from each other.
