Amsterdam Roots Festival

The Amsterdam Roots Festival takes place in Amsterdam, culminating in the free Roots Open Air day in Oosterpark. Launched in 1983 at the Melkweg as the Africa Roots Festival and renamed World Roots Festival in 1988, it took its current name in 1998. Its program blends world music with theatre, circus, dance and spoken word, built around artists drawing on their cultural roots, and it draws tens of thousands of visitors each year.