The Rototom Sunsplash premieres this Friday its most ‘planetary’ edition with a line-up that undoubtedly lives up to its international character. In music, the 50^th birthday of the Rastafarian group The Abyssinians – which will also be the protagonist of the inaugural session of Reggae University-, will raise the curtain on Main Stage that will also welcome for its first day Chronixx, one of the firm candidates to inherit the crown of modern reggae and that together with his band, Zinc Fence, will perform his only concert scheduled this year in Spain, in Benicàssim.

Also performing will be Lila Iké one of the most promising new voices out of Jamaica- and the global essence of Macaco who, after visiting the festival in 2016 returns to Benicàssim to surprise and delight the public with his reggae cocktail, flamenco, rap and Afro-Latin rhythms close the line-up for the first night on Main Stage.

Four aces to get the blood flowing on a first day that doesn’t fall short on the other stages with special shows such as the one Mad Professor will present on the neighbouring Lion Stage and that under the name of The Next Generation of Dub will gather Lady Marga, Zeena and Redhed (mixed by Joe Ariwa). Together with them, on the first night of the festival, they will share the bill with Eva Lazarus & The Young Robotiks (UK), International Dub Ambassadors from Puerto Rico and the Italians Acsel & The Reggae Rebel Band.

Regarding the extra-musical activities, this year´s theme that gives name to the festival, ‘Stand up for Earth’, will begin to take shape in the different areas.

Magicomundo, in collaboration with the Formigues Festival from Benicassim, will organize the workshop with recycled materials entitled ‘Formigues loves Earth’, which also aims to raise awareness among the festival’s youngest public of the importance of caring for our environment and preserving the planet.

Also in Pachamama, the space that will undoubtedly become the epicentre of this year’s edition, has prepared special activities for this first day of the festival, such as a grand opening ceremony with Mother Earth as the star.

And, in the Artesano Market, awareness will be raised through the workshops such as the creation of a mural with this year’s theme, the planting of agave trees and the creation of mobiles with plastic caps.

Proposals for all ages that this year are completed with the creation of a new space aimed at the adolescent audience, the Teen Yard, which will also get its workshops and activities going this Friday with a banner creation session that will serve as preparation for the demonstration that the Fridays for Future movement brings to the venue.

Female empowerment in reggae, through the voices of three renowned artists such as Lila Iké, Sevana and Sister Maryjane of Emeterians, who will participate in the Reggae University in the talk entitled ‘The future is female’ or the tribute that the Social Art Gallery will render to environmental activists killed during the last years, complete the programming of this first day. The curtain raiser of a festival that this year is firmly committed to contributing to reflection and the active and positive search for solutions that will together, contribute to the sustainability of the planet.