Rototom Free is in honour of Friuli and freedom. We announced in the press conference in November that Sunsplash is abandoning Italy, however it is not stepping back from the cultural stuggle of the country. Rototom Free contributes to the vigorous cultural and economic growth of the land and is a tribute to this area. Rototom will be back in Friulli even if it is just for two days. This gem will be held in Udine in Parco del Cormor, Friday 2nd - Saturday 3rd July. It will be an intense run of reggae events and concerts. As a tribute to the sixteen years of Sunsplash, Alborosie (the famous Italian-Jamaican artist) will release "Rototom Free" which he has generously dedicated to Sunsplash. The official delegation from Benicassim, the Spanish sea-side resort that will be hosting the festival after its exile, will be present with Diana Bernal (cultural assessor) and Luca Carena (responsible for local tourist promotion).

This is Rototom Free, a free festival  with two main stages and a dancehall area hosting the best of world reggae; Alpha Blondy, Sud Sound System, Fantan Mojah, Supersonic, Sidney Salmon and many many more. It will also host to name just a few Marco Travaglio, Don Gallo, Guido Calvi, Beppino Englaro,  Ilaria Cucchi, Angelo Maria  Perrino, Mihai Butcovan, who will be disscusing Italy today and its deep contradictions. There will also be ethnic cuisine, markets stalls and non-profit associations who together with Rototom are expanding the culture of peace and respect.

As usual there will also be various themed areas that have characterised Sunsplash in the past years: The African Village, Living Energy Area with therapists and masseurs, the House of Rastafari, with dense programme of in depth knowledge on Rastafarianism and the ‘Magico Gioco’ (Magic Games) that will provide creative workshops for children. There will also be a Maxi-screen showing the World Cup matches. This is just a taste of what the festival could have been like this year. Instead, following what the organisation considers a "Witch Hunt" (the very debated judicial court cases against the President Filippo Giunta and the Mayor of Osoppo Luigino  Bottoni) it will change location moving to the Spanish Benicàssim from the 21st to 28th August. Buses, flights and individual packages are being organised in what will be a true exodus of the massive reggae scene. The Spanish tourist industry this year is expecting tens of thousands of people for this event, with all the benefits going to Spain not to Fruilli. However in the first weekend of July, during the usual time of Sunsplash, Rototom could not have left those whom have followed for over a decade the events at Parco del Rivellino empty hearted. It is for them, for the multicoloured pacifists and multi-cultural universe that has been created around the festival. The concept of this mini-festival is to put on a weekend that will bring together all the fans, to give a tangeable signal that the move into Spain is not wanted, and the hope that the court cases which have fuelled so many discussions will be closed and archived, as would be logical and just. In all these months Rototom has had the support of many representatives from the worlds of culture, politics and entertainment such as; Don Ciotti, Altan, Moni Ovadia, Vinicio Capossela. This has brought the Sunsplash case to the attention of the public. Many Italian cities; Roma, Milano, Bologna, Bergamo have been involved in the campaign "Don’t put Bob Marley on trial". Despite the massive influx of people forecast, camping is not permitted during the two-day festival.