2.92°C David Rodigan joins UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Aswad, Don Letts, Bitty McLean, Dawn Penn, and Trojan Sound System at Roots East on Sunday, 17 August 2025, part of the Colchester Castle Summer Series.
A leading figure in reggae for over 40 years, Rodigan’s passion for the music started in the 1960s, when he first heard Prince Buster’s ‘Ten Commandments’ and ‘Al Capone’. That early love for Jamaican music shaped a career that has taken him across radio, sound clashes, and festival stages worldwide.
He began broadcasting in 1978 on BBC Radio London, later moving to Capital Radio, where his ‘Roots Rockers’ show became essential listening. In 1990, he joined Kiss 100, as the station transitioned from pirate to legal radio. Speaking to Test Pressing, he recalled those early Kiss days as a time of “passion, cutting-edge sounds, and almost anarchy in the playlist meetings”.
Rodigan is known for his high-energy performances and deep knowledge of the music. “When I go on stage, all I want to do is share my love for the songs in that box,” he told Test Pressing. He believes in introducing records like works of art, unveiling them with stories before letting the music take over.
His career includes stints on BBC 1Xtra and BBC Radio 2, multiple Sony Radio Academy Awards, an MBE for services to broadcasting, and victory at the Red Bull Culture Clash with Chase & Status and Shy FX as Rebel Sound. He has headlined festivals, including Glastonbury, Outlook, Bestival, and Parklife.
Rodigan describes DJing as a “dancefloor democracy”, a shared experience between the DJ and the crowd. “There’s a chemistry when a group of people gather together with a common bond – music. If I wasn’t on stage, I’d be on the floor dancing to those records.”
His set at Roots East, as part of the Colchester Castle Summer Series, is a chance to see a true reggae icon in action.
With each show welcoming up to 10,000 attendees, the Colchester Castle Summer Series will take over the park for a week in August.
The team behind the event, promoters Soundcrash and Supermodified, are well-known in the UK for hosting popular events like the Margate Summer Series, London’s South Facing Festival, Hitchin Priory Series, and Cardiff Bay Series.
Other shows announced for the Colchester Castle Summer Series include Madness, Craig David, Texas, Busted, and James. Information can be found here: https://colchestercastlesummerseries.co.uk/
