7) Showcase Stage

The Festival’s second stage for number of concerts is usually dedicated to upcoming artists and every year features an impressing amount of extremely talented bands from all over the world you might not have heard about yet. This year’s most anticipated shows will feature the Jamaicans Exile di Brave and Kazam Davis, the Italians Train To Roots and Muiravale Freetown, the German Sara Lugo, the Brazilian Flavia Coelho, the Spaniards Amparo Sanchez and Potato and many many more.

6) Bob Marley 70 Tribute

The King of Reggae’s 70^th birthday will be celebrated with three special shows. Junior Murvin, guitarist of the Wailers from 1977 to 1981 will open the shows on the Main Stage on the first day of the Festival; a collective of 20 Spanish artists will create a special show called “Cantando a Marley” (Singing Marley) where they will pay omage in the own style to Robert Nesta; and last but not least, the last surviving member of the original Wailers, Bunny Wailer, will bring his magical music to Rototom and will surely pay tribute to the history of the Wailers.

5) The Strength of  the Classics

Pioneers of the Jamaican, European and UK reggae scene will bring their class on the Main Stage. Look out for Lee “Scratch” Perry, The Pioneers, Barrington Levy, Capleton, Brigadier Jerry and Josey Wales from Jamaica,  Aswad, Bad Manners and Macka B from the Uk and Africa Unite, Uwe Banton and Morodo from Europe.

4) Reggae University

Rototom has lined up an incredibly rich program for the cultural area of its 22^nd edition. Super Cat, Josey Wales and Brigadier Jerry will open the area bringing the audience on a journey into dancehall’s origins, Bunny Wailer will talk about his incredible career, Paolo Baldini and Mellow Mood will explain their deep journey into dub and the complex reality of Jamaica’s artistic reality will be addressed by members of the Uprising Roots band as well as the Paint Jamaica collective.

A film festival is also scheduled at the Reggae University, with Spanish premier of, among others, “Rodigan: a life in reggae”, “Lee Scratch Perry’s Vision of Paradise” and “Watt Town: Holy Songs from Jamaica”.

3) Sound System Take Over with  Dub Academy and Dancehall Yard

The two most important areas when the lights go down on the Main Stage will showcase once again an impressive line up. The Dub Academy, powered by the Blackboard Jungle sound system, will feature masters of dub such as Mad Professor, Mungo’s Hi Fi, Iration Steppas, O.B.F, Aba Shanti, Mellow Mood’s Dubfiles Project, Solo Banton, Mr. Williamz and Micah Shemaiah backed by Rory Stone Love.

The Dancehall area on the other side will have the best the European and Jamaican scene can provide. The resident crew of Heavy Hammer and Lampa Dread will warm up every night before Killamanjaro, Trooper, Black Chiney, Gappy Ranks, Warrior Sound, Saxon, Cutty Ranks and many more will make everyone dance till sunrise.

2) Major Lazer

When in 2009 “Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do” was released, the Major Lazer crew made an impact in the music industry that no one could predict. Now six years after they have brought their unique mix of dancehall and electronic music to the next level, topping the charts all over the world hit after hit. With collaborations with artists such as Vybz Kartel, Ward 21, Chronixx, Mr Vegas, Snoop Dogg, Busy Signal, Bruno Mars, Wyclef Jean and so many more and the summer hit Lean On, Major Lazer are bound to shake to the roots the Rototom Main Stage.

1) Super Cat

The Don Dada, the Icon himself in his last European show. We’ve seen him live in full strength in Rome and we are really looking forward to see him again on the big stage of Rototom. For many this will be the first and probably the unique opportunity to witness the Cat live and that would already be an event not to miss, considering also the opportunity to hear his stories on dancehall in one of the Reggae University’s session.

But is what can only be imagined and dream about that make the presence of Super Cat at Rototom the number one of our list. After his show the dancehall area will see the presence of his sound, Killamanjaro, and the day after Josey Wales and Brigadier Jerry will be on the Main Stage. Impossible not to dream of Freddy Krueger dropping the Answer Riddim for him to sing on, or to witness the  Don Dada in a long freestyle session with the other two dancehall generals backed by the legendary Lloyd Parks and We The People Band.