Music for the soul can be found at the Summerjam Festival, which stands for a colorful crossover of reggae, dancehall and hip-hop and a positive, tolerant and cosmopolitan togetherness.
The first Summerjam was held in 1986 at the Loreley and has now been at the Fühlinger See in Cologne for 25 years. Every year, 28,000 fans celebrate not only their favourite music but also a unique, peaceful and relaxed togetherness.
Conquer the devils with a little thing called love
Bob Marley
As with hip hop, reggae is not a music genre that one would associate with German lands. Nevertheless, this relatively young genre, which originated in the middle of the last century on the Caribbean island of Jamaica, is so popular in Germany that there’s an entire festival dedicated to it.
Begeistertes Publikum und jamaikanische Nationalfarben.
The history of reggae is closely linked to that of the Rastafarian religion, which aims to return Africa’s black diaspora, scattered throughout the world by colonialism and slavery, to their promised land of Ethiopia. For the Northern European audience, the appeal of reggae probably lies more in the relaxed atmosphere produced by the Caribbean sound, with its typical emphasis on the offbeat. Coupled with the beautiful location at the Fühlinger See, where the campground is also located, the Summerjam offers the ideal backdrop for a few days of carefree fun and soul-building. The multicultural audience ensures a peaceful event in musical and political harmony. With the Cologne-born Tilman Otto, better known as Gentleman, the city of Cologne can even call a veritable international star of reggae its own, who also enjoys respect in the Caribbean scene.
Summerjam in Numbers
Genre: Reggae, Dancehall, HipHop
Founded in: 1986
Place: Cologne
Capacity: 28.000
Next event: July 1 - 3, 2022
