This cost is covered by support from North Hertfordshire District Council, other grants, and admission fees.

The first four years were staged in Hitchin Town Hall and featured bands such as the Bhundu Boys and King Salsa.

In 1996 the event moved outside to the Market Place, but had only one stage and due in part to terrible weather the organisers felt the benefit to Oxfam was not being reflected in the increasing effort required.

With the benefit of these professionals and supporting volunteers ROTW 2000 was on a different level to the previous years; a purpose built stage dominated the Market Place, along with four others, and world music bands such as the Dhol Foundation, Bollywood Brass Band and Kiki Dee featured.

Bands such as Ayub Ogada, Motimba, Itang Bondi and Yat Kha helped create what has now become the typical Rhythms musical atmosphere.

2004 had two main stages (the Market Place and Portmill Lane), plus, the BBC, the Arts Council and Decibel partnered with ROTW to help showcase national and local world bands.

The 2009 festival saw performances from Jazz Jamaica, The Jive Aces, Hjtalin, Etran Finatawa, The Magnolia Sisters, John Otway, Blyth Spirit, Flamboyant Bella and Exit Avenue.

The 2010 festival saw performances from Black Polaris, The Swanvesta Social Club, Stu O'Connor, This Empire, My First tooth, The October Game, Lecarla, Red Dollar, HeKz, Spandex Ballet, Trailer Trash Orchestra, David Gibb & the Pony Club, CC Smugglers, Spiked, Trouble with Tuesday, Frog Stupid, Lika Sharps, Bayou Seco, Out of the Trees, The Xcerts, Ballachulish Hellhounds, The Whybirds, The Amigos, My Passion and Rotating Leslie.

With the wet weather, attendance was very low, the fields were very damaged and the festival lost a lot of money on holding the event.

In 2018, ROTW was cancelled due to the North Hertfordshire Council refusing some of the license applications for the event.