Festival opening: 40 years Amsterdam Roots Festival

This year Amsterdam Roots Festival celebrates its 40th anniversary. Since the first edition in 1983 in the Melkweg as Africa Roots Festival we have transformed into a performing arts festival on different locations in the city. Transformation is also the theme of our anniversary edition. We take a look at the transformation of the festival, but also at the transformation of our society. Social inequality has grown, and at the same time awareness about unequal opportunities and treatment has increased enormously. In recent years, the call for transformation, the call for justice is also becoming louder.

Amsterdam Roots Festival has been working for 40 years to broaden the horizons of visitors by bringing art from all parts of the world. Initially music, but in recent years also theater, circus, spoken word and debate. During this anniversary edition Amsterdam Roots, together with artists, speakers and the public, wants to explore how music, stories and art can play a role in awareness and social transformation. What can art mean here? How can it inspire and can imagination bring about positive transformation?

The festival  opens at New Metropolis Zuidoost on June 28, briefly looking back at 40 years of Amsterdam Roots Festival. We present the festival theme 'transformation' and some sneak previews from the festival program.

New Metropolis Zuidoost