Benicàssim I Tuesday, 13 August 2024.- Take a look at the map of the reggae city into which Rototom Sunsplash transforms the Benicàsim concert venue (Castelló, Spain) from 16 to 21 August 2024. Seven stages, a dozen extramusical areas, green areas and spaces to chill, a market to loose yourself in, an outdoor foodcourt with 30 gastronomic proposals. and multiple services give shape to the venue that houses the festival. It is like a tree: with the iconic lion welcoming you at the entrance, which sits at the base, at the root; and the Main Stage (that will be graced by the artists such as Alpha Blondy, Black Uhuru and Bob Marley’s the Wailers) crowning its top.
We will be going over this indispensable Rototom Sunsplash map so that nothing is left out. From the roots to the sky. On 16 August at 14:00, the concert venue will officially open. It will do so every day until 06:00 the following day. However, to facilitate access to the public, the ticket offices will be open from 15 August at 12 noon – and 24 hours a day, on the 15th and 16th. Next to them will be the entrance to the site, with that destinctive style that is renewed summer after summer. And now, from the roots of the festival, the journey begins.
Ahead, a wide avenue with multiple services on the left and right: a water point (which are present at the ticket office and throughout the festival), one of the two Respect points set up (the second will be in the campsite and together they will operate 24 hours a day); access to the campsite; the lost property and health care area; cloakrooms; toilets; and the cashless wristband top-up points with cash or card (this system will operate throughout the festival, except at the flea market and Rototom Store, where purchases can be made in cash or by card).
We continue to move forward, and on the far right of this great avenue emerges the first of the seven stages: Dub Academy, which expands its corner in its aim to become a planetary meeting point for sound system culture. International acts such as El Gran Latido (Colombia); Kemadito Sound from Argentina; Yugo Taguchi (Japan) along with Greenlight, Serena and Lasai; Agobun from France and Coco & Rowsi (Barcelona-Mallorca) will be playing here.
The journey continues along the traditional rambla, the upper part of which houses the Lion Stage, with a line-up that embraces the dub of OBF x Iration Steppas in a stage show with the only date in Spain and the return of the Santa Cruz band Midnite, led this time by Ron Benjamin. The Lion Stage will host one of the most eagerly awaited shows of this year’s edition, with a nod to jazz: the tribute by Swiss trombonist Samuel Blaser, along with top musicians, to Don Drummond, musician and composer of Skatalites, who celebrates his 60th anniversary in 2024. Jesse Royal, Skarra Mucci, Mo’Kalamity and, representing the new generation of reggae, Jah Lil, Naomi Cowan and Khalia; the eclecticism of the Brazilian Bia Ferreira; the Valencians Los Chikos del Maíz as well as the Barcelona rappers Anier and Santa Salut; Manudigital, Pure Negga or the cumbia of Lxs Nadie.
Lion Stage is projected towards the heart of this reggae city, a central and green space full of life; the flea market and Marley Square; the restaurant area, with 30 international proposals to savour dishes from Jamaica to Lebanon; the relaxation and rest areas; and the Jumping stage. This is also where the Rototom Circus Show emerges. Four companies will take to the stage from 17 to 20 August, between the first two concerts on the Main Stage. From the Moroccan Colokolo with its acrobatic show ‘Chouf Le Ciel’ to the Madrid-based Circo Circulum and Ido Loca and the Valencian Spinish Circo.
Completing the central axis of the venue will be the no profit area – with NGOs sharing their projects with the public – and Pachamama, the space for personal reconnection with the Earth. The now customary yoga sessions, together with regenerative agriculture workshops, talks to analyse the impact of exacerbated urban planning or active meditation with the dub and tai chi workshop led by the musician Macaco will make their way under the characteristic dome.
Back to the Lion Stage and around the upper perimeter of the map, the activity continues: House of Rastafari gives way to the open-air Social Art Gallery, and the most African area of the venue: Jamkunda, a mini-festival in itself, with a stage (Jamkunda Stage), an area for talks and workshops (Ataya) and the much sought-after Afro-modern dance sessions that give a pulse to the evenings.
Jamkunda Stage will project Afro-modern music every night with the main groups that promote it in Spain, such as AfroBrunch, Follow the Party, Oyofe and Zsongo, and with the comedian WizProblema as master of ceremonies.
Without leaving this perimeter, and attached to Jamkunda, we find one of this year’s novelties: Discovery Lab, a space dedicated to science to bring it closer to the public from a didactic and fun perspective. Composing melodies from a cosmic piano, building a solar charger or tackling the extinction of the dinosaurs are some of the twenty activities that make up the schedule of the new space, the first collaboration of the prestigious CERN research centre with a Spanish festival. The mathematician and presenter of the TVE programme ‘Órbita Laika’, Eduardo Sáenz De Cabezón, is part of the large team of science communicators who will guide the programming of the area.
The new features extend to Teen Yard, the favourite spot for teenagers, who for the first time will be able to enjoy 50% discounts on festival tickets. Teen Yard has a new sports area for basketball tournaments and will host a battle of promises and urban dance exhibitions and masterclasses.
The space for families and children, Magicomundo, is located at the apex of the triangle it forms together with Discovery Lab and Teen Yard. This corner for ‘little’ audiences weaves links with artists from the Main Stage in its new Reggae Kids and dedicates a triple day to Valencian culture with a Fallas workshop, a storytelling tribute to the poet Vicent Andrés Estellés and the presentation of another Zoo Il-lustrat book on Palestine.
Magicomundo will also merge with several of the activities proposed in the Mercado Artesano, which completes the more family-friendly area of the venue. From here we move on to the Rototom Sunsplash’s beating heart: the Main Stage. The axis that sets the rhythmic pulse of the festival and from which you can perfectly see this reggae city, the mountains of the Desert de les Palmes and the mythical summer sunsets.
The Main Stage 2024 line-up is eclectic. Within reggae, and specifically roots reggae, it includes two icons such as the Ivorian Alpha Blondy and the Jamaican band Black Uhuru (who will give their only concert in Spain in Benicàssim) and special shows such as The Wailers, Marley’s band; or the tribute show for the 80th anniversary of Peter Tosh, co-founder of the legendary The Wailers, and the only opportunity to enjoy this live performance in Europe. The Congos & Gladiators, Johnny Clarke, Twinkle Brothers, Marcus Gad and the Californian band Groundation join the line-up, along with the more modern reggae of Alborosie with special guests, Skip Marley representing the new generation of the king of reggae’s family, and Naomi Cowan.
The dancehall proposals represents with Beenie Man and Busy Signal -both with Benicàssim as the only date in Spain- while ska comes with Bad Manners and Dr Ring Ding and afrobeats with the Nigerian Flavour. The Main Stage explores eclecticism through voices like Etana.
As for the Spanish presence in the line-up, among the attractions are the Navarrese band Iseo & Dodosound; the special show by Green Valley for their 20-year career, and the flamenco fusion of Chambao. The Spanish element of the line-up shows a clear tendency towards rap and hip hop with the Sevillian duo SFDK -celebrating their 30th anniversary-; and artists such as Fernandocosta -who will give his only concert in the Valencian Community in Benicàssim during the summer. Fyahbwoy with Forward Ever Band exemplifies the commitment to the dancehall genre from Spain.
On the way down to the roots of the venue, completing this intense tour of the 29th edition, is Reggae University, the festival’s temple to Jamaican culture. The present and future of reggae, the 80th anniversary of Peter Tosh, the rise of Afrobeats and issues such as toxic masculinity in today’s society will be some of the topics that will be discussed in this space, which favours dialogue with artists in the sessions organised, which will feature Romain Virgo, members of Peter Tosh’s band and his son Andrew, Harrison Stafford of Groundation, Stylo G, Manudigital, Johnny Clarke, Jesse Royal, Khalia, Jah Lil, Naomi Cowan, Flavour, Shopsydoo and, for the first time, Spanish artists with Iseo & Dodosound. Reggae University will open its programme every afternoon with the screening of films and documentaries, and will include, along with the talks, other activities such as the dub workshop given by the renowned musician Chalart58.
This journey concludes in the DanceHall: the festival’s historic stage, present since its beginnings. One of the most dynamic platforms at the venue, its line-up will include artists such as Stylo G, an exponent of Jamaican-style dancehall; General Levy, an icon of the UK jungle scene; and Maureen from Martinique with her shatta; and sound system sets with champions of the calibre of Walshy Fire, a member of Major Lazer, and Kybba, from the Basshall Movement collective. They will be joined by a crew of dancers from Spain, France, Sweden and the USA who will be giving daily dance classes (22:00) and performing on stage during the evenings.
The seventh stage, Solé Rototom Reggae Beach, is located on the Gurugú beach in Castelló with sound systems in the evenings and a bus connection from the venue
WWW: Rototom Sunsplash | Music, culture, activities and beach
