Beside the Mediterranean sea, in Benicassim (Spain) the 2026 31st edition of the Rototom Sunsplash festival ran seamlessly, for 7 consecutive days, from August 16th to 22nd last.
Outside of Jamaica, Rototom is widely considered to be the premier international reggae festival. This assessment is based upon its duration, attendance, musical variety and lengthy line-ups, cultural dimensions, social and political consciousness prompts, personal growth and family-friendly activities, together with its longevity.
Of course, Rototom has long been more than an assembly of the genre’s best reggae acts, as yet again this year it gave its audience – comprised of  a remarkable range of (over 100) nationalities and all age groups – morning sessions on the beach, a host of non-musical engagements from early afternoon and an array of quality performances across a selection of stages from when the sun starts to set. And if that didn’t float all boats, the nightly Rototom circus allowed punters to  indulge in clowning, juggling, acrobatics and a range of associated amusements!
DAY 1 – SUNDAY 8/16/2026 | OPENING ‘THE WELCOME PARTY’
In a novel format for Rototom, the festival opened by placing the spotlight at the Lion Stage on the three winning acts of the ‘Rumbo a Rototom 2026’ competition. Sandwiched between DJ sets, it started with the sweet-sounding roots reggae exponents Mountain Tops, followed by the versatile Sotabosc from Barcelona who put a Spanish twist to reggae with brass embellishments, whilst Iyaman Pablo (on lead vocals and drums) & Irie Reggae Vibes kicked in to maximum effect with a roots-fuelled set thereafter. These artists certainly serve to confirm that there is no shortage of high-quality acts in the local reggae pipeline! Whilst this trio were displaying their wares, the redoubtable Dub Academy announced its return to Rototom via an 8-hour extravaganza, with the aptly named Good Over Evil at the heart of the action.
DAY 2 – MONDAY 8/17/2026
Cleverly positioned at the beginning of the festival – serving to bring the thousands to Rototom early – the newly named Sun Stage (formerly known as the Main Stage) played host to some of the genre’s biggest names – with the Skatalites, Luciano and Alpha Blondy all slated to show. And show they did! Notably, the revised Rototom format now avoids a big-time sound clash, as it alternates the Lion and Sun Stage shows, enabling both stages to attract large audiences, whilst ensuring that the punters miss none of the festival’s bigger names.
