Music festivals are increasingly incorporating sustainable practices into their operations, and represent the ‘catalyst for the transition that is much needed in the events industry’, A Greener Future has said.
The non-profit, which is dedicated to making the live event sector more sustainable, has highlighted ways in which festivals are improving their environmental footprint in areas such as energy use, food systems, transport, waste management, and infrastructure, reducing emissions and resource use with no impact on the festival experience.
“Festivals are a great place to experience and explore new – and old – ways of doing things,” commented Claire O’Neill, co-founder of AGF. “From water to energy to biodiversity restoration, when done well, they showcase more sustainable alternatives.”
Leading the way
Highlighted festivals include Primavera Sound Barcelona, where organisers have worked on improving energy efficiency by increasing electrification and battery use around the festival grounds. At Paradise City, in Belgium, meanwhile, organisers have introduced plant-based menu options as part of their catering approach.
“To implement a sustainable policy as a food manager, you need the support of your team and your boss,” commented Petra Daniëls, food curator for Paradise City Group. “Events are still organisations that need to make a profit. So it is also important to demonstrate that sustainable options are still profitable.”
At the award-winning DGTL Festival in Amsterdam, meanwhile, transport is a key area of focus, with the festival encouraging public transport use, cycling, and walking.
Zero-emission stage
Energy efficiency is also on the agenda at Ultra Music Festival in he US, home to the award-winning sustainability programme, Mission: Home – this year’s festival was the first major electronic music event in the US to power a large-scale stage with zero-emission batteries.
“Each year, we push ourselves to think bigger,” commented Vivian Belzaguy Hunter, Ultra’s sustainability director.
Other festivals referenced by A Greener Future include All Points East in the UK, which boasts a dedicated on-site waste-sorting facility, and Green Gathering, also in the UK, which seeks to embed ‘permaculture’ – low-impact systems that work with nature – into festival life. Read more here. [Photo: Primavera Sound Barcelona, photo by Sergio Albert]
