Rototom Sunsplash was born in Gaio di Spilimbergo, in the province of Pordenone, in the Rototom Disco-club, which had already been hosting the most prominent talents of the world-wide reggae music scene since 1991

The first gathering of the Italian reggae scene took place: Rototom Sunsplash was born in Gaio di Spilimbergo, in the province of Pordenone, in the Rototom Disco-club, which had already been hosting the most prominent talents of the world-wide reggae music scene since 1991 (Burning Spear, Steel Pulse, Buju Banton, Black Uhuru, Inner Circle, Third World, Cultures, U-Roy, Yellowman, Itals, Meditation, Junior Reid, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Misty in Roots, Gladiators, Pablo Moses, Shaggy…).

For the period of four years, artists of all kind have been performing on Rototom’s Sunsplash stage. Year after year they have transformed the festival, going from a small but unique music genre gathering in Italy to being an unavoidable event for everyone who makes reggae music their daily occurrence.

During festival days, Rototom disco club and garden turn into a type of self-sustained and pacific island in which people live for some days alongside reggae music, great company that creates emotions and sensations typically Caribbean.  Since our first edition, the event is broadcasted live through radio stations.

Over the years, thanks to the improvements on organizational skills and the valuable interest of public and media, Rototom Sunsplash has become a huge reality that cannot be any longer sheltered where the festival once was born and raised.  

1998 - 1999 | Camping Girasole, Latisana Marittima

The freshness and cultural depth made RS one of the most important festivals in Italy:

During the summer of  1998 Rototom Sunsplash presented itself to the public with a massive structure: an entire camping site was rented - with swimming pool, restaurant, bar and bungalows – and prepared in order to recreate the setting of a reggae city, able to accommodate thousands of “inhabitants”. The new location was Latisana Marina, close to Lignano,  a famous seaside resort just steps away from Venice.

The duration of the event passed from 3 to 5 days. Apart concerts, many new collateral activities were offered, such as African percussions classes, capoeira and meetings with cultural associations. Confiding in an outbreak of the Festival (which would eventually occur, as the visitors became 20 thousand, instead of the previous 8 thousand) a special " reggae train"departing from Rome and stopping in Florence, Bologna, Padova, Venice was organised, together with a 24h free coach service fromto Lignano.

Moreover, the festival held the Italian Reggae Award : the director of the Jamaican Reggae Sunsplash, Mr. Rae Barret, was especially called in, to choose which of the performing Italian bands would represent Italy for the very first time at the festival in Jamaica. An initiative of historical importance for the Italian reggae movement, that has marked the beginning of Alborosie’s musical career in Jamaica - at the time he was still the frontman for the Reggae National Ticket band.

The following edition finally earned the attention and respect of TV press representatives and confirmed that Rototom Sunsplash was one of the most interesting musical and cultural events in Italy. 1999 edition saw the first world-wide live broadcast (via streaming on the Internet): the thousands of contacts and the hundreds of emails received in those days proved that the reputation of Rototom Sunsplash had crossed the national borders and that the festival was becoming one of European significance.

2000-2009 | Rivellino Park – Osoppo (UD)

Rototom Sunsplash became a European gathering: In these past 7 years RS distinguished itself in Europe not only for the number and level of the performing artists, but above all for some qualities that made it unique: the project, unusual and revolutionary in some ways, was to set up a holiday resort instead of a mere festival.

The event duration gradually increased from 5 to 8 days, then to 9, and at last to 10. The initiatives and concerts were more evenly distributed in order to leave more time for meetings and for social and cultural exchange for the thousands of visitors coming from many different countries; conferences and debates with sociologists, politicians, religious and intellectuals were offered a broader space; further attention was given to the daily workshops of capoeira, percussions and African dances, meditation, natural medicine and rasta philosophy, and last but not least art workshops dedicated to children.

2010 | Spain