Three generations of the Abril family have decided to spend their August holidays at the Rototom Sunsplash in Benicàssim. Alma, five years old, her mother Patricia Abril, 39, and grandmother Piedad, 73, will travel by motorhome and stay for the entire week in the festival's camping area, which runs from August 16th to 22nd. This event has established itself as a family gathering that goes beyond music.
The Abril family, joined by Dani, Patricia's partner, represents the profile of attendees who find a different way to enjoy the summer at Rototom. Patricia explained that for them it is ‘a different experience from the usual’ because she believes that ‘it is a festival where the whole family can come together, with your mother and your daughter, and have a good time’.
Patricia points out that these holidays allow them to break away from the annual routine. ‘These are different holidays where we discover new things together with other families, and having the beach so close is a plus,’ she commented. For them, the combination of concerts, activities, and the sea creates a comfortable environment for both adults and children.
The joint presence of grandparents, parents, and children at the same cultural event is not common, as the mass leisure offer has increasingly focused on age-segmented audiences. However, the Abril family's experience illustrates a phenomenon that repeats at Rototom, where the programming has sought to integrate different generations in the same space.
The data from the last edition reflect this audience diversity. According to the organization, the festival brought together 218,000 attendees from 111 countries. Of these, nearly 17,000 were under 13 years old and over 11,000 were over 65 years old.
For the Abril family, Rototom is already part of their personal history. Patricia has been a loyal attendee for several editions, Piedad attended in 2013, and Dani has also been on several occasions. For little Alma, despite being only five years old, this will be her third experience in Benicàssim, as ‘she first came when she was a year and a half old,’ her mother recalls.
The availability of activities beyond concerts helps explain this mix of ages. The festival has created specific areas according to the interests and life stages of each group, but it fosters coexistence among all. One of the highlighted spaces is Magicomundo, dedicated to children with an inclusive and shared approach with adult audiences, designed for children and families to ‘enjoy together through freedom, play, and learning’.
For this year, the organization has announced innovations within this philosophy, such as a storytelling corner (cuentoteca) to exchange stories among attendees of different ages, aiming to strengthen intergenerational contact. Also noteworthy is the Teen Yard space, focused on youth urban culture, with proposals in graffiti, rap, breakdance, parkour, and sports designed for teenagers.
The coexistence between ages is repeated in other common areas of the concert venue. The catering areas allow entire families to gather for meals or rest between performances. The artisan market invites strolling and browsing. Furthermore, the wellness and yoga activities in the Pachamama space and the cultural and social workshops of Jamkunda facilitate people with very different interests sharing moments and conversations.
Another key feature of Rototom Sunsplash is its international dimension. Every summer, attendees from over a hundred countries coexist for a week in Benicàssim. They do so around a program that combines music, cultural activities, and participatory proposals aimed at engaging the audience.
On the musical front, this year's edition has once again placed reggae and its various facets at the center of the programming. The lineup includes international names like Major Lazer Soundsystem, Shenseea, and Protoje, as well as historical figures like Alpha Blondy, Luciano, The Itals, Bushman, or Twinkle Brothers.
There are also performances by Israel Vibration & The Roots Radics and the foundational band of Jamaican ska, The Skatalites, who will share the stage with the British artist Alpheus. Proposals such as Queen Omega & The Royal Souls or Macka B & The Roots Ragga Band reinforce the connection with Jamaican music.
Beyond reggae, the festival has broadened its stylistic range and strengthened its ties with the national scene. The program includes Catalan singer Lia Kali, the Granada-based band Eskorzo, and the project G5, which brings together Kiko Veneno, Muchachito, El Canijo de Jerez, Diego ‘Ratón’, and Tomasito.
For Patricia Abril, one of the keys to Rototom lies in its ability to bring together people who do not normally share leisure spaces. ‘My mother is a very open person, without prejudices and eager to discover different things. Being able to share this experience together is something that doesn't happen often,’ she stated.
From the festival organization, they point out that the simultaneous presence of minors, young people, families, and retirees responds to a model that has sought to ‘foster coexistence between generations in the same cultural space’. They define the venue as ‘a place to be yourself and to be with totally different people’, an idea that aligns with the vacation plan chosen by the Abril family.
